Thank you. Yep. Good morning, Saints. Good evening. I've been working so hard today. It was morning when I started and right before I got here when I ended. So we just thank God. Hey, the day just has been a blur, but thank God we've been here three nights and we've been blessed every night. I don't know about you, but I've been really blessed. going to be giving us an opening song and we're going to have uh Deacon Matthew's going to pray, Deacon Lee is going to uh Deacon Matthew's going to give us a scripture, Deacon Lee is going to pray, and Deacon Walker is going to close us out and it's so good to see you all even past the rain uh you know it came down pretty hard but that wasn't going to stop me and it it hadn't stopped you either and uh he has been so good to us And so, y'all hit me saying this song. See what the Lord has done. See what the Lord has done. You ought to count your many blessings. See what the Lord has done. Let the church say amen. Amen. See what the Lord has to say. Let's go to our scripture reading. It's coming from Psalms 34, beginning at the first verse. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear they are and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him where looked up to him and where light and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried. And the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamped around about them that feared him and delivered them. O taste and see. that the Lord is good. Yes. Blessed of man that trust in him. I've read the 34th number of some verses one through eight. May the Lord have a blessing to the reading and the hearing and most of all the doers of his word. Thank you, man. Let's have a word of prayer. our heads. Heavenly Father, we come to you with a bow down and a humble heart. We come, Father God, as an empty pitcher before a full fountain. We come magnified, glorified, and lifting you up because you are worthy to be praised. We come, Father God, knowing that you is a God set high and know everything before we speak. You're all about it. Follow God. Now, Lord, as we continue in our third night revival, we thank you for how you have blessed with the advantages and the lectures. Follow God. We pray. Follow God that we take this part of God and apply it to our life. We go out a different way where we come in. We thank you, Father God, for this waiting congregation. Father God, give them what they need. Let your spirit rain all over this place. We need your spirit, Lord. You said you had sent us a conference, so let us continue following your conference, because we know the conference leads to all truth. It will teach us the way to go. Now, Lord, we ask you to bless the bachelor tonight, bless the lecturer tonight, bless our pastor tonight, and Father God, bless Father God and Pastor Mary Walker. That's all the family of Father God that represented here this evening, Father God. We thank you, Father God, for what you're going to do and already going to do. Now, Lord, we ask you, Father God, when we leave this place, give us traveling grace. We'll go back to our different deaths and where we come from, Father God. And then, Father God, let us go in the vineyard and tell Father God, meet the sinners out there, boys and girls, that the way to sin is death, but to give us all eternal life. Now, Lord, I know, Father God, you've just been good to me. You've been better to me. I've been to my own self. Father God, you took care of me. Father God, when I ain't have sense enough, ain't know what's going on. I thank God that I know the kitchen from the bathroom is mine. I thank you Lord that I'll be able to drive down the highway, Father God, and you took control of this time where it brought me to the house of prayer. And let it continue to be the house of prayer, Father God. Let us make the house of prayer. Teach us how to pray, Lord. Please, sir, teach us how to teach us what to say. We don't know what to say, but we know, Father God, we're praying to a holy God. You as a home suffering God, you suggest God. I just want to thank you. I want to thank you, Lord. Thank you for so much, Father God. Thank you for what you're already going to do. Thank you for what you're going to do. Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer, and I thank you for answering my prayer. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Come and go to their land. Come and go to their land. Come on give the Lord a hand clap of praise Come on, he's been better than you today Come on praise him like you know you're blessed Certainly we thank God for blessing us to see this Dave, this is the day that the Lord has made we are to rejoice and be glad in it. Certainly the Lord has sped us through the storm and the rain. Not that we deserve it, but he's a God of grace and he's a God of mercies. Certainly, we thank God for the deacons and trustees who have devoted us, who have turned and postured our hearts towards the heaven way to hear the Lord speak to us. Thank God for all of these pastors and preachers that are here tonight. Thank God for all of you. We are blessed to be in the house of the Lord one more time. I'm gonna help me look at somebody and tell them you don't know how blessed you are to be in the house of the lord You're blessed beyond measure To be in this place once again revival perspective, what are we here for? First john chapter one verse three First John chapter one, verse three. We're not here just to be here. We're here on purpose and intention. The Lord wants to do a special thing in our lives. He wants to revive and restore us in specific areas of relationship that this year our focus is relational revival. Say that with me, relational revival. Amen. Relational revival. Here it is, verse 3, that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship with us And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. That our focus is that we want God to revive us, restore us in our relationship with Him. That I'm not how I used to be. I'm not in relationship and fellowship with Him. Like I used to, I used to be fervent and hot, passionate about the things of God. You know, when we first got saved, we wanted everybody saved. We didn't count on, you know, being covered over with gray ashes. But now gray ashes don't mean there's no hot coals at the bottom. We want God to blow on us to remove the gray ashes. So we can burn again in passion and fervor for Him. I want to be restored in my relationship. I want to meet Him like I used to meet Him every morning in prayer. Every noonday, every evening, bedtime. I want to open my Bible and hear Him speak to me like He used to when I would run to the Word of God. I need to be revived in my relationship with him. I need to be revived in my relationship with my church family. I want to interact and mingle with the church members as I should. You know, as quiet as it's kept, we avoid some folks. You know, we say we love all, but we avoid some folks. We can't stand some folks. And the Lord needs to restore and revive our passion for people who worship with us, people who pray for us, people who make mistakes, and people who come short. Sometimes people who mistreat us. But we need to ask God to restore our hearts to fellow church members. That when we see them, we'd be glad to see them. We don't go down another aisle. Amen. We need to be restored, not only in our relationship with the Lord, relationship with our church members. We need family restoration. That we need to be restored and revived in our homes. That we have strayed from the way of God in our homes. That relationships are not tight. I can recall the time we used to sit at the table and it was mandatory that you come to the table and eat now. Everybody get their plates and they go their own way. Bedroom. You know, living space. So we really don't even need a dining table for what we doing now. But I believe God has kept the dining table in the house so we can get back to dining together. Now let me show you how important it is. Jesus sat at the table with his disciples. and faith in them. We need restoration in our families. We need to, you know, care for our children and our children need to care for us and love us and we love them. And grandchildren, we need to love them enough to drag them to church. Yeah, get rid of that choice. Don't let the government govern your house. Talk about your five-year-old and your two-year-old can tell you whether they want to go to church or not. But you still got to buy them shoes for school and buy them clothes for school. No, you need to drag them on in here. And then when they get here, put them gadgets down. And bring it up in here with headphones on your ear. And walking out the Word of God and the devil is having his way. We need to be restored, revived in our families. Listen, here's the last thing. We need restoration and revival in our relationship with the community. And we want Bethlehem to know that New Bethlehem is a community church. And we have responsibility for watching over the community. Let me tell you how powerful church is to community. If the church was not in the community, the rapture would have already taken place and tribulation would be in place. But because the church is in the community, the wrath of God is held back from that community. Because the church is in the community and God doesn't pour out his wrath where his people is. So we need the Bessemer to know that we love Bessemer. And we won't best him or save him. I was listening to Dr. Rogers and Dr. Walker talk a few minutes ago about how radical they used to be, how they used to walk the streets with bullhorns and parades and all that kind of thing. I said, we need to get back to it. And we just come together as a people and walk these streets and pray as we walk down through the streets. Maybe it'll subside some of the crime. If they see massive groups of Christians walking the streets, singing the Lord's song, I believe the walls of Jericho will come down. If we just allow the Lord to move upon us and give us revival. Listen, this is our revival perspective. You may be seated. The choir is coming in after the choir. The next voice you will hear is that of our lecturer for tonight and the person of Dr. Atkins. Amen. Come on, put your hands together. People from every nation. People from every nation. From generations. Can I have that right here? We worship you. Hallelujah. We worship you. We worship you. We worship you. Hallelujah. Come on, say it. We worship you. For who you are. Just recall, you are good. Can I get a witness in the building now? He's been so good. So good, yeah. Can I get a witness right there? Let's do it one more time. You want to give us a break. Come on. You are good all the time. You are good all the time. You are good all the time. You are good all the time. Yes, he is. Come on. Come on. Can I get a hallelujah right there? Let me hear you say hallelujah. Lord, you are good and your mercy endures forever. Thank you for your mercy, Lord. Lord, you are good and your mercy endures forever. Thank you for your mercy, Lord. Lord, you are good and your mercy endures forever. One more time, say Lord, you are good. Lord, you are good and your mercy endures forever. Come on. Come on. Come on. We worship you. We worship you. Yeah! Amen. Let every heart say amen. Say amen. God, you are good. And you're so good that your mercy is just like the energizer bunny. It just keeps going, and going, and going. That's what it's mercy does. Amen. We once again, we greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We come from Boonville, Mississippi, pastoring the Wolf Creek Missionary Baptist Church. We give honor to this chieftain, the pastor of this house. Amen. First lady, amen. Pastor Emeritus Walker and his wife, amen. To all of these other pastors on the roster, because I've been shaking hands and getting names, but they weren't sticking too good. But these guys have been so kind. Amen. They have been so kind. And to their wives, if they're out there, any other minister pastors and their wives, but I must say a few words about my friend, Dr. Edward Rogers. Amen. I was very humbled to see him show up. I'm one of them preachers that when he show up, you got to double check your notes. Amen. Dr. Edward Rogers in the house. We're just happy and excited to have him, all of you. But last but not least, my wife. Amen. God bless you. Sister, wave your hand. Amen. Amen. I know one thing, you know, there's a great witnessing house here. Great witnessing house here. But I've been to some houses where wasn't nobody saying nothing but my wife. And I thank God for her. Amen. Amen. And so I don't know whether it's because I wasn't saying nothing. But I know she was supporting me. Tonight, we're in the same spot again. Amen. We're in the 13th chapter of Matthew in the context of Verse 1 through 23, we're dealing with 7, 11, and 22 tonight. And we are dealing with a man I didn't let y'all know last night, but the first night we was dealing with that packed heart, the heart that had too much traffic on it. Amen. Last night we was dealing with this rocky, heart. It just couldn't survive because it just didn't have no root. But tonight, we'd like to talk about what I call a sticky heart. A sticky heart. Matthew chapter 13, verse 7, the Bible says again, and some fail. among thorns. And get this now, it says, and the thorns sprung up and choked them. Matthew 13, 22, he begins to explain again. He says, he also that receives seed among thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world. and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful. Thus we want to talk for a few minutes about a sticky heart. Tonight we round our lesson with the seeds that fell among thorns. If I can relate to people, my brothers and sisters that may again do a little gardening, the text says the seed fell among thorns and then the thorns sprung up and choked the seed. The text says seeds fell among thorns. But when they fell, the thorns sprung up and went into action and began to do what they were meant to do. Weeds ain't fruitful. Weeds don't bear other weeds. Weeds, the only thing that they do when they show up is to stop whatever's around them from beating them doing what they do. Look at the text, it says they fell among, the seeds fell among thorns. Listen, the worst thing you can do is to allow weeds to overtake your garden. You know, sometimes too much rain, you know, for those that garden, they're always out there trying to keep it clean, but if too much rain show up, you know, by the time it rains two or three days, you get out there, they done sprouted up everywhere. Or you go on vacation. Thank you, God, it's going to be all right. But when you come back after about a week, and it done rained three or four times, you had a good time at the family reunion. But now, the weeds everywhere. They all over. You know, one writer suggests that the ground was plowed up. But it was poor plowing done, because even though the ground was plowed up, brambles and weeds had not been cleared away. This is basically, when we look and see what's so interesting is that preventative maintenance we're willing to do to the physical body. How many believe that preventive maintenance to keep you spiritually strong, it is a necessity? What you do to your soul and your spirit, the Bible has multiple scriptures that talk about my soul. talks about our spirit man, and talks about how to take care of that and stay near to God. I want us to know that when we're dealing with this thing tonight called this sticky heart, we need to understand the Bible gives us a little information about it, Proverbs 13, 12. It says, hope deferred, it makes the heart sick. We've got to hope all the time. Matter of fact, Dr. Oliver was just talking about hope a few nights ago. And we need to understand that when we don't have hope, we could make our heart very sick. Remember, you can't hope for what you see. That ain't hope. Hope is what you don't see. And when you see things that's not like it is, the Bible teach us plainly that if you want to correct it, you've got to speak things that are not as though they were. We cannot continually allow very, very unrighteous situations to govern our thoughts and our minds and how we treat one another. Proverbs 14 and 14, it said, the backslider in his heart shall be filled with his own ways. When you turn back, you ain't getting nothing but you. God don't want to put his name on what you trying to claim. Proverbs 23 and 12, it says, if you want to do something good, apply your heart unto instructions. And thy is to the words of knowledge. Matthew 5 and 8, in the Beatitudes, it says, blessed are the pure. Yes, sir. Because if they're pure in heart, those are the ones that have the vision to see God. Yes, sir. Matthew 6 and 21 says, for wherever your treasure is, There you can find. Your heart is very interesting. My brothers and sisters, Hebrew 10 and 22, as I get ready to just hit at it a little bit, it says, when we come to the conclusion that we need to be near God, it says, let us draw near with a true heart. Other word, God saying, I'm not gonna just bring it to you, you got to draw near sometimes. And when you draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. We need to understand tonight, my brothers and sisters, that when we fall among thorns, thorns will try and choke you out. I want to suggest to some people that there are elements in your life that if you're not careful, they'll try to choke you out the church. Because people will always trying to give you a reason that don't love God why you come to church You already know my brother that some they come to church because they need God. We all need them. Amen But the truth of the matter he we here to worship. This is spiritual This is what we need to survive in a world that's on its way to hell. We need to survive. And the only way to survive is we gotta learn how to come to the everlasting life and arm of God that we will seek his righteousness, seek his love, amen, seek his spiritual guidance that we will be able to thrive in a valley full of dry bones. My brothers and sisters, we need to understand that as this second verse says, he that also receives seed among thorns is he that heareth the word. In other words, the seed can hear the word. The ground and the seed get together. They can hear the word. But then it says, in this type of ground, if it hears the word, the care of this world, and the deceitful of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. I'd like to suggest to us that we have to learn how to get rid of our stuff. Y'all don't mind, you can look across the aisle and somebody say, brother, sister, if you got too much stuff, God wants you to get rid of your stuff. Once again, they hear the word, but this means that although I hear the word, I need to understand that the combatants of me hearing the word is there have been pressure applied to me hearing the word. Amen. There's always somebody out there talking against what you believe. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not against the Muslims, but the Muslims are, for most people incarcerated, they go in Christians and come out Muslims. There's always somebody that's trying to tell you that you don't really believe what you believe. Because they try to apply pressure. I lived in the city of Chicago for many years and they stood outside and some of our Baptist churches selling these bean pies with these ties on trying to tell us that we're listening to the white man's religion. Many times I have just been able to roll my window down and say as a young boy, if it was good enough for mama, it's good enough for me. Sometimes you got to believe that pressure have caused some folks to cave in. The world has too much to offer unless you have faith and belief. Pressure have made some turn back. Pressure has caused many to be shipwrecked in their faith. Pressure has allowed anger to control some, and pressure has allowed some to make rash decisions about their faithful future. Pressure has seriously caused pipes to bust. Don't let your stuff fool you. Wealth can be deceitful. But listen, because I know some folks out there got some money in the bank. It ain't nothing wrong with being rich. Amen. Even if you ain't rich and want to be rich, it ain't nothing wrong with being rich. But understand this, being rich ain't the problem. Your stuff resolves around your attitude. about being rich. Rich is described in the King James version of this text is called deceitful. When we render that word deceitful, it means delusions. delusions which you saw visions and fantasies and illusions and mirages. See some people when they get a little money in their pocket they see stuff that they didn't see when they were broke. I believe I'm right about it because you don't even have to be rich, but you could just look at us income tax check in January. You know we call it black folk Christmas, amen, in January. Sometimes we can get a hold of just a little bit too much money and we feel like that we can just make it just last forever. I stopped by to tell some of us that you know, sometime when we get too much money in our hand, we don't think about the future, but we try to live in the now. My brother, we have visions. We have visions about what we can have. We have visions about keeping up with the Joneses. We can have visions about, I ain't never had this before. We can have fantasies about everything we couldn't do when we was broke. Or we can have the illusion of some young men. Some young men even live on the edge believing that that woman won't say a word to me. But if I had this car. If I had this car and drive up to her house, she'd ride with me. But sometimes they don't understand that's an illusion. Because she ain't going to want to be seen with you unless you look right. We need to understand, my brothers and sisters, that there's nothing wrong with being rich, but the world has cast deceitfulness in our hearts. The world has made us think that, hey man, I remember an old commercial that I used to watch about old Milwaukee. It said, you only go around once in life. You ought to reach for all the gusto that you can. And I stop by to tell many of us here, yeah, you only go around once in this life. But when this life is over, if you don't do this life the right way, you going to have to meet somebody on the other side. In conclusion, I want to go ahead and let you go. I need us to look at this thing understanding that sometimes we lose track. We lose track because the false vision of money. We become unconcerned about God and ministry because our number hit. Okay, we act like the prodigal son. We go to mama and daddy and say, break me off a little something, something. And I go out in the world and I squander all of my living away. This all leads to becoming unfruitful. Because the end of getting caught up in the world meaning the fact that what God had intended for you, what God had planned for you, how God wanted to use you, when you get caught up in the world, God just takes the old bramble weed, not God, but the dirt will take the bramble weed and it will simply choke you. It'll choke you till you can't produce anymore. Then you'd have to wonder why the songwriter said, if he had to reach way down, Jesus can pick you up. You want to wonder why you can't pray like you used to. You might be getting choked out. If you wonder why even some behind the sacred desk can't preach like they used to, they might be getting choked out. When you wonder why you can't sing your song and hit the high notes like you used to. Could it be you might be getting choked out? This will lead to what I call unfruitfulness. Unfruitfulness just simply means that you can't bear anything that's going to add to the kingdom of God. You can't bear anything that's going to make the kingdom of God better. But otherwise, now that you're unfruitful, you're there just taking up space, not able to produce. Is it anybody in here that want to matter when it comes to being a Christian? Is it anybody here want to make a difference when it comes to being a Christian? Is it anybody want to say God is me, oh Lord, standing? In the need of prayer. I need to tell somebody before I leave you tonight in conclusion, if you want to make a difference, it's just like Eddie Kane and the five heartbeats. Yeah. Eddie Cain and the Five Heartbeats sang a song that set their whole musical industry on fire. One night they came down off the stage and they began to sing a song like they did when they was crewing. He said, is there a heart in the house tonight? He said, if there's a heart, in the house tonight. Go ahead and stand up if there's a heart in the house tonight. He said that there is a heart. is a house of love. But the thing he said is I've learned that it don't, it don't take much to build it up. Do y'all hear what I'm saying? He said, I've learned that there's a heart in the house of love. but it don't take much to build it up and if you're gonna build up your heart that you can truly serve God you gotta learn how to repent because when you repent you turn around and come back to God is there a heart in this house tonight you ought to stand up because you need hope Because if you got hope, you can make tomorrow better. Is there a heart in this house tonight? You gotta trust God. Because when you trust God, you trust in what you can't see. Is there a heart in the house tonight? Well, you gotta believe on Him, the one that died for you. And above all, is there a heart in the house tonight? Because if there's a heart in the house tonight, You gotta believe that Jesus died and Jesus rose that he would give you a better heart and a better life. God bless you. My, my, my, my, my. Sticky heart And if you let the weeds grow the thorns a choke out Good work in your life. Come on give the Lord a hand for dr. What a lecturer he is My heart has been blessed and hear from heaven through Dr. Atkins. Listen, it's prayer time. May I not always pray and not faint. Pray always, pray without ceasing. One of the disciples went to Jesus and said, teach us how to pray. Last night, Dr. Oliver said that if we pray, It'll change our lives for the better. I ask that you stand with your heart. Create an altar, a place of exchange. A place where you surrender unto God. A place where you climb on the altar. And you present yourself a living sacrifice. Listen, whatever requests you have, know that God hears you. And if he hears you, you have the petition that you desire of him. Dr. Rogers, Epple Rogers is coming to lead us in prayer tonight. Cast your cares. Cast your cares. Cast your cares. Let us pray. Our father which art in heaven. We bring this congregation before you in the name of Jesus. We come to you tonight out of our helplessness. That we need you. We need you to help our hearts. that our hearts need to be pure. Our hearts need to be clean. And you told us that if we confess our sins you would forgive us and would cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So here we are that we had done it all right. Yes. We come tonight to ask you to pardon us from our sins. Yes. Please lord. Yes lord. And that you will fill us with your holy spirit. Please god. Please god. In doing so that The ways of a good man are ordered by the Lord. So, Lord, direct us tonight. Yes, sir. For you have blessed us with education. You blessed us with knowledge. You've helped us to be smart. But you told us to lean not to our own understanding. but in all our ways acknowledge you and you shall direct our path. We come tonight because we have a problem with adjusting our lives to your way of doing things. So we want to repent of doing things our way. and not submitting to your ways. But you told us your ways are not our ways and your thoughts are not our thoughts. So help us tonight through the preaching of your word to have a special contact with you tonight that our worship experience would not be in vain and tonight you will usher us in to the holiness of holiness and there we will have an encounter with you and that you will set our souls on fire the fire to be witnesses unto you in all the world. So Lord, we ask now that you bless these bodies, these bodies that needs your healing, because we know you as a healer. heal us spiritually, physically, spiritually, physically, and mentally. Well, grandmama told us that you are mind regulated. So, lord, help us. Help us. Have a sound mind. Let that mind you told us that's in us. That was in Christ Jesus. So, master, you are heal the sick, raise those who are dead in sin, manifest yourself that unbelievers and skeptics will know that we are not alone, but that you are with us. Some need to see your power tonight. through your word, activate your power tonight through the preaching of the word, that those who come for a blessing would be blessed. Those who come to be saved would be saved. And after all, we give you the glory, give you the honor, and give you all of the praise. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, and for his sake, Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. It's giving time. This is the last night of our revival. That's you to take out your best gift. that you give it unto the lord. For the word says it's better to give than it is to receive your quiet. You can't beat in giving no matter how you try. The more you give, the more he'll give to you. Keep on giving because it's really true. We're under the direction of the ushers. Let us pray. Our most gracious Father, we thank you for this offering this evening. Father, Father, we ask that you would bless the giver, Father. Bless those that wanted to give and didn't have it, Father. Father, praying that these will be used for your will and glory, Father. These bless, we ask you, loving Son, Jesus' name, amen. He is my protector, there will never be no harm He is a friend, anything He's gonna take on I'm not gonna care, I'm not gonna do it He's worthy and I'm gonna serve, I'm gonna serve, I'm gonna serve For he's my root, my foundation, the bridge of the storm, yeah. He's my protector, there will never be no harm. He is the bread that sits on the table, yeah. I've got to do it. When I lived in L.A., yeah. When I lived in L.A., yeah. When I live in the alley I'm a third of the Lord I don't know about you But I'm a third of the Lord Third of the Lord On a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday It pours! Are you going to serve the Lord? Are you going to serve the Lord? Papa Jesus! How many times must I prove how much I love you? How many ways must I love you? So you do know just how much I love you. How many times, much times, I love you. How many ways? How many ways? Much my love for you. Many times must I rescue you from trouble So you would know just how much I love you your tears Many storms must I bring you sailing through So you would know, you would know how much I, how much I love you ♪ Many days must I be a pest all around you ♪ ♪ I'm really nice, must I wipe your tears away ♪ Many storms must I bring you safely through For you to know just how much, how much I love you Did not wake up This morning, you were close to your right path. When you walked upon a problem, did not step right in. You are queen of those that were not studying. Not angel. So you would know. So you would know. Yeah. Yeah. I wake you up this morning. you. when you want to. A long life's journey My angel My angel Carried you so you would know Hey Lord, so you would know So you would know So you would know Did not put food on your table. When the pain was wrecking your body Did I? Did I? Did I? When you were lost in sorrow I died So you would know So you would know how much So you would know how much, how much I love you your table. show up. when you're When you were lost. So, you would know. So, you would know. Yeah, I let them nail my hands and nail my feet. Cause I love you. They even pierce me in the side. I love you. I let them nail my hands. They even nailed my feet for you to know They even kissed me in the side and the blood came streaming down So you would know I love you, I love you, my child, I love you I love you, I love you, I love you I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you. So you would know, so you would know, how much I love so you will know how much I let them nail my hands and nail my feet cause I love you They even pierced me in the side And the blood came streaming down I love you I love you my child I love you, I love you, I love you So you would know How much I Love I love you Will you stand with me? Mr. and Mrs. Soundperson, can I get some more of these monitors, please? Holy Father, first of all, if you never do anything else, you've done enough for us to know how much you love us. Now God, we come asking tonight that you would feel us full of your Holy Spirit again. In Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. My lord, it's it's good to be here tonight, isn't it? I want to take time and thank god for our pastor, pastor Rogers in this place tonight and the blessing. I'm just I'm just blessed to be in his company. in a rough world, when you meet people like him, you just get a feeling that everything's gonna be alright. Come on, thank God for him again, would you? And then for Pastor Emeritus, Dr. Walker, amen. looking good. Looking good. Looking good. And then I I told you I told you there was a little bit more in the lecturer. Um that we've been getting the last two nights, see? I still say the same thing. There's still a little bit more. Still a little bit more. Pastor Rogers is here tonight and I felt like I've been in school all day with him and lunch. Come on. Thank god for Pastor Rogers. Would you thank you for your prayer? And I tell you, boy, this pulpit is just full of full of preachers, full of power. Come on. Thank god for these preachers for the for this this music Every night reminding us of how good God is. I don't know, them some tough sisters up there. They don't even let a man in the choir. Tough sisters up there. Young man who drove me year before last, last year, I flew this year, I lied Tuesday night and said that I drove. I didn't drive a lick. He drove me all the way from Marshall, Texas. Brother Derek Washington. He's with me. I tell you what. Uh I was I was a little too long. Longer last night than I wanted to be and I still didn't finish. So, let me try to go back and finish tonight. Acts chapter twelve. Acts chapter twelve. Acts chapter twelve. Jesus loved me. little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong. That's what I was thinking about when y'all was singing. Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong. Yes Yes. Jesus loves me. Yes. Jesus. For the Bible tells me so. One more time. Jesus. Jesus. If you know he loves you, yes. How do you know for the Bible? Last night, in jail, handcuffed to soldiers. But prayer was made at Mary's house, and God sent an angel. And the angel came down, and a light shined in prison. He had to wake Peter up. Oh, cussing, cutting Peter. Ain't cussing, ain't cutting. because he's been praying. And he ain't panicking now, he's asleep. And the angel touches him and tells him to stand up. And when he stands up, the chains just fall off. Tonight I want to begin in verse 9, verse 8. And the angel said to him, gird yourself, put on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, wrap your cloak around you and follow me. And he went out and continued to follow. And he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city which opened for them by itself and they went out and went along one street and immediately the angel departed from him when Peter came to himself he said now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and all that the Jewish people were expecting And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice because of her joy, she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. They said to her, you are out of your mind. But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying it is an angel. But Peter continued knocking and when they had opened the door they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison and said, report these things to James and the brethren. Then he left and went to another place. You may be seated. Look at your neighbor again tonight. Straighten the face if you can stand it and tell him, pray. Look at him again. Tell him quit pouting. Quit complaining. Quit planning. and pray. Again, tonight, I'm Things are about to change. I am possibly, honestly, the slowest person in this room. It's some stuff I just can't get too fast. I have to watch movies over and over and over to get them. To understand what's going on. I've never been in danger of being voted valedictorian or salutatorian. Didn't even know the name of the people who graduated cum laude and summa cum laude. Didn't even know them. It was just that dark-skinned girl. That just wasn't my crowd. people who did homework and stayed in the library that wasn't my crowd. I was in the sub, shooting pool. Playing dominoes. I've just never been that smart. I really thank God for Pastor Rogers and preachers that know more than the Bible. everything else I know that I'm good at, I'd probably go to jail for doing. I just ain't got it. I just ain't got it. I just ain't got it. But God makes me look like a genius because I know how to pray. God blesses me to make moves and I don't even know what it's going to look like afterwards. And by the time God touches it, it looks like I'm brilliant. And I'm just saying, if God does that for an idiot like me, what in the world can he do for somebody smart like you? If I had your intelligence, I'd be running for president. I'd be a bad motor scooter if I knew what you knew and I know how to pray. I wouldn't even speak to y'all. I'd be a better preacher. I'd be a better husband. I'd be a better father. I'd have some more money if I knew what you knew and I know how to pray. I'd be tough. So, I'm speaking to you tonight from my own heart. Quit doing all this pouting and fighting and planning and pondering and pontificating and all that and get on your knees and He gonna turn something around for you. He gonna fix something for you. Talk to him. You ain't got no Greek and Hebrew, just talk to it. You ain't got no thiseth and thouest and thuseth and most holy one. Lord, look at here. I'm headed up to this job, and if that heifer say one thing to me today, it's going to be on and cracking. So please don't let her say nothing to me today, because I'm going to knock her out. I'm going to lose my job. I ain't going to be able to pay for all the food for these children, so I need you to keep me. That don't need no this it, that no that's it. That need Lord. I'm trying to help y'all. I'm trying to be as real as I can. I wish I could be a better preacher, but I'm just talking with you tonight. PRAY ABOUT IT! So, let me try to give you some some information. So, you won't say you ain't got something to write down. Black people like to write and type stuff. Several types of prayer in the New Testament. Um there's a prayer of adoration. Um UK or is a prayer. It's the same word for worship. Um matter of fact, this is the worship. It means to worship. It means it's a prayer of adoration. It means you ain't asking for nothing. You just adoring god for who he is. That's more so of a like a devotional prayer. See, we pray devotion and we get it all wrong. You know, Deacon stand up for devotion and he prayed, lord, go to the hospital, go to room Well, you need to pray that by yourself, but for devotion on Sunday morning, we need a prayer that adores God. We are devoting this service to the Lord. We need to talk about how big he is. We need to talk about how holy he is, how righteous he is. We need to sing songs about who he is. good. And when we get good, we're not going to even talk about who he is to us. We'll sing about who he is, period. Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty, early in the morning. Now, that's a struggle to find music today just to talk about how big God is. God can fit all of us in his watch pocket with room. This is bad English, but it's good preaching. Look at somebody telling me he's a big old God. They used to sing at BTU, my Aunt Frank, every Sunday evening she would sing at the beginning of our class, he's got the whole world. God so big he can make it rain on one side of your house and the sun shine on the other. If he wanted to, he could make a cat bark and a dog meow. That's just how big he is. It's a prayer of adoration. It's just adoring him. for who he is, then there's a prayer of appreciation. Now, I'm thanking him for what he's done. Now, the more mature I get, the more mature you and I get, we can pray a prayer of adoration even when we can't pray a prayer of appreciation. In other words, appreciation is, Lord, I thank you for healing me. Adoration is, Lord, you're a doctor. So that even if you don't heal me, I'm still worshiping you because you are a doctor. And I know you can if you want to. See, some of y'all ain't mature enough to do that, so I'm sorry. I just wanted to throw that in. But that funeral that I had Tuesday was a young man that was 48 years old who died of cancer. Brothers, go get yourself checked. He died of cancer. He came up to me about two months ago and said, Rev, at the altar. I said, man, I got stage four cancer. I said, man, let me pray for you. He said, yeah, you can pray for me, but I'm all right. He said, the Lord gonna heal me one way or another. He's either gonna heal me temporarily or permanently. Temporarily, he gonna take the cancer away from me. Permanently, he gonna take me away from the cancer. He said, because even if he does not do what I want him to do, I'm worshiping him because he's still able. And sometimes you gotta worship God because you know what he can do even if he don't do it. My three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego say, oh, King, live forever. We're not careful to answer you in this matter, but our God, whom we serve, is able. Now, he might not, but we do know he's able. There is a prayer of Adoration a prayer of Appreciation then a prayer of intercession when you're praying for somebody else You know God turned the captivity of Joel when he prayed for his friends When he prayed for somebody else God turned his situation around prayer can be a seed sown. You look like Jesus when you pray for somebody else, especially when you're in trouble. Jesus was hanging on the cross and he said, which is to say, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? At that point, Jesus had nobody to answer his prayer. but he also says, father, forgive them for they know not what they do. He looks at a thief beside him and say, this day that would be with me in paradise. See, whenever you stay inside of your own trouble, you look human, but when you come out of your own stuff and start praying for somebody else, you look like Jesus. When you ain't got nobody, listen, when you're sick at home and you pick up your phone and call somebody else and say, let me pray for you. Instead of sitting there complaining because the deacons ain't call you. I've been sick for two months, deacons ain't even call me. How come you ain't call nobody else and pray for them? Okay, I said I wasn't going to fuss. But then there's a prayer of supplication. Now, you gotta watch this and I'm gonna help you. This is gonna bless your life. Hello. Prayer of adoration, appreciation, um a prayer of of of intercession and then a prayer of supplication. It's when you ask. That's right. ASK. Thank you. and say what you want. It does not mean complain. It does not mean, Lord, you know what I need. It means to ask specifically. It does not mean say Lord bless me. It does not mean to say Lord guide me. It means to say Lord guide me to a job. God bless me with healing. It means to be specific. Jesus says, when you pray, be specific. Which one of you, if your child ask you specifically for some bread, you will give him a rock. You gotta ask for it specifically. Heal not to temptation, for yielding is sin. Each victory will aid you. Some others to win. Fight faithfully onward, strong passion subdued. Look ever to Jesus, he will see you through. Ask the Savior to help you. comfort, strengthen, and keep you. He is willing to aid you. He will carry you through. Now, let me let me let me say something about this text tonight. Um I'm struggling in my mind between several outlines. Um and and if y'all quiet, I'm gonna try to preach all three of them. Um but let me tell you one of the things you'll see here tonight between verse eight and verse seventeen. Prayer will put you or position you for the Lord to exceed your expectations. From verse eight to verse seventeen. God exceeds expectations for three different types of people. He exceeds that when you pray don't just expect God to do something expect God to overdo it. If I was in a full gospel church tonight, they'd already be running in the walls and high-fiving one another, but I'm in a Baptist church tonight, so let me say it one more time. When you pray, don't just expect God to do something. expect him to overdo it. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse and prove me now here which says the lord if I will not open up the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you don't have enough room to receive Psalms 23, my cup runs over because God overdoes it. Overdoes it. Hold on. Hold on. 5, 000 men not counting women and children and the only thing we got is this little boy that shows up with two fish and five loaves of bread. Jesus takes that two fish, five loaves of bread, looks up to heaven and says, father, I thank you. The average person will say, that ain't enough. Jesus saying, yes, it is. It's more than enough. Thank you. He began to break it and by the time that story was over, even though they started off with two baskets because the Lord overdoes it. One of my favorite verses in all of scripture. Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ever ask or think because God will overdo it. He exceeds expectations. For three types of people in this text, person number one, Peter, is in jail, asleep, expecting to die. They pray at Mary's house. An angel shows up in jail. Light shines. Angel has to wake him up. Says to him several things, several commands. Number one, gird yourself. Number two, bind up your shoes. Number three, put on your coat. Number four, follow me. I wish I had time to deal with that. Gird yourself. When you got ready to work or you got ready to fight, you girded up your robe so you could move freely. All of this stuff is preparation for action. Uh Peter, get up. put on your coat and follow me. And the Bible says, here it is, that Peter at this juncture has his loins girded, has his shoes on, has his coat on, and is walking and don't know what's going on. He thinks he's dreaming Because when you pray God will bless you with some stuff that you won't even believe I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I'm in this space because I just asked for that and god gave me this. There's somebody up in here right now and where you are right now is such a contradiction from where you used to be. It's so amazing that god has brought you. I'm surprised I made it out of some stuff myself. Cuz I thought it was over. I thought I was dead. But here I, are you surprised tonight? I got about five folk that can help me preach this sermon. You're surprised tonight to be here. He don't know what's going on. Here's another point though. He don't know what's going on, but he's obedient. Because I need to say something to somebody in here tonight who's so analytical. God does not always show you the next step. You're going to have to learn to obey even when you don't understand. I feel the Holy Ghost in here tonight. He don't know what's going on, but he's still walking. walking. He ain't quite sure what's happening but he's still walking and there's somebody in here tonight that can testify in your journey with the lord. You've had to walk sometimes and god walked you out of some stuff but there was a moment you just had to take it step by step because god ain't show you the whole program. He ain't show you the whole plan. You just had to follow the lord even you. And that's going to happen sometime. Sometimes you ain't going to know the end. You just going to follow the lord step by step. The lord said to Abraham one day, get out, follow me, and Abraham might say, where we going? I'll show you when we get there. You can't know how to listen, put your calculator down, trying to figure out how he Well Lord, now let me see how this gonna eat. Peter is shocked because the Lord exceeds expectations. God works beyond your understanding. He don't know what's going on. walking. But he's still walking. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. But I'm going to keep on walking. I don't know how this thing going to turn out. But I'm going to keep on walking. I don't know what the doctor going to say. But I'm just going to keep on walking. I don't know if the bank going to give me the loan or Jesus walks in the room in John chapter 13, the Bible says the disciples are sitting there and he, you know, they're sitting there and the custom is the lowest one in the room is supposed to wash everybody's feet. And they just got to arguing about who's the greatest, not who's the least. Jesus walks in the room and automatically takes upon the position of the least. He takes off his outer garment, he picks up the pail and begins to wash everybody's feet. And then he says something that's amazing. He says, what I'm doing now, you don't understand, but you will understand later because God works beyond your understanding. You just got to keep on walking sometimes. Not only does God work beyond your understanding, the good news is God works beyond your ability. The Bible says that he's following the angel. don't know what's going on, but he's following the angel. When they get to the outside or get to the iron gate that cannot be moved by one man. Are y'all listening to me? By the time he gets to that gate, that gate opens on its own. Some of y'all worried about lifting some stuff. You ain't gotta lift anyway. All you got to do is just keep on The stuff you can't handle God is gonna handle it What prayer? Can't get God to do Prayer will show you what to do know, I hear folks saying, well, we don't need to pray now. We don't need no prayer meeting now. We need to do something. Well, what we gonna do? I don't know. We need to pray so we'll find out what to do. And what we can't do. God will do for us. He'll open up some doors that you can't open up. That was some sisters. I don't know their name. I don't know their name. Well, I know their name but I don't know all of them. Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Martha, Joanna, and some others. Nosy, nosy, nosy. That Friday when Jesus was dying on the cross, all the disciples had ran like rats on a sinking ship. They were still there. When Joseph of Arimathea got him down and put him in his tomb, they saw where Joseph lay. They weren't going to do nothing that Friday and didn't do nothing that Saturday because that was a Sabbath, but Sunday morning, here they come. And you know what they were fussing about? Which one of us going to roll away the tomb because we are women and that's a big stone. Now the Romans have put that seal on there. That's not some kind of epoxy glue. That's the Roman seal which meant that the death of Jesus was a governmental sanctioned persecution. You don't go behind that state seal because that's a federal crime. But them women ain't care. Who gonna roll away the stone when they get there? The Bible says that the stone had already been rolled away. Because what you can't handle, God will handle for you. Just keep on walking. Touch somebody and tell them, keep on walking. Peter gets outside, and the angel leaves, and the Bible says he comes to himself. He says, God Almighty, Now, I know the translation here is that he put two and two together. He he now his hindsight is 2020. Yeah. I went to sleep. handcuffed to this hand and this hand while I was sleeping the light shone in prison and an angel woke me up and and it was a little fuzzy but the angel told me to put on my shoes gird my loins and the chains had fallen off we walked out of one gate and walk right by them soldiers. Walked out of another gate, walked right by some more soldiers. And they didn't see me. Because God knows how to cover you. God will walk you right through people who are trying to take you out. And the next thing you know, you'll be out when you put it together. somebody in here tonight. Oh lord have mercy. There's somebody in here tonight. I pray that the Holy Spirit helps you to put it together. I'm going to know when you put it together because you're going to look back over your life and see where you used to be and see where you are now and you are going to surmise that it ain't nothing but a savior brought me safe thus far. I put it I put it together. I was sick and couldn't get well but the lord brought me out and now I can tell. I put it together. Hold on. There's somebody else that the lord exceeds their expectations. Okay. Peter says, the from out of the hand of Herod and the expectation of church folk. They, the Jews, were expecting this to be it and over. The Jews were expecting me not to make it out of this. The Jews were expecting me not to come out of this alive. But since somebody is praying, God is about to exceed their expectation. Okay, let me help because y'all looking at me funny. They expected since we came to America on ships, as slaves that we would always be slaves but we get married proud before we we we get Thurgood Marshall. We exceeded their expectations. We got we got Martin Luther King. We exceeded their expectations. They thought that since we were down that we would always be down. They thought that since they gave us books with no cover that that had been read by other students and pages were out, that we were not going to take advantage of the pages that were left, but we exceeded their expectations. They thought that since they didn't let us into the University of Alabama, that we were not going to go to college, but we got Alabama A&M. We got Alabama State. I'm just trying to tell you, God will exceed the expectations of your enemies. Okay, let me help you. There's somebody that left you. And they thought, since they left you, that you wasn't gonna make it. But you're doing alright up in here tonight. Oh, I wish I had some help in here. I discovered something a few years ago, listening to the radio, I was listening to the radio, I was listening to the radio, and that was, I pulled up to a store, I was listening to the radio and there was a song that I heard, that I wanted to listen to, I wanted to hear the end of the song, so I had to sit in the car and wait on the song to be over. But then, another time, I was playing a song, back then we had CDs, radio and and I got to the store and there was a song on on the on the on the CD. I was playing on the CD and I needed to go into the store and I said, well, shoot, I can just turn the car on, turn the car off because when I get back in the car, it's going to catch up where it was and I can hear the rest of the song. Are y'all here with me? See, whenever I turn the car off, the CD player turned off but the radio, if I turn the car off and left you. See, the problem, some people in your life thought that you were a CB. They didn't know you were a radio. So, when they walk out of your life, they thought when they came back, you were gonna be in the same place. They don't know you're on a whole new song. I wish I had some help in here because god exceeds expect. Touch him and tell him I'm on a whole new song. said I wouldn't make it, said I wouldn't be here today, said I wouldn't amount to anything, but I'm glad to say that I'm on my way and I'm growing more and more each day because the Lord exceeds expectation. I gotta get out of here y'all. I've held you too long. overdoes it. But the lord overdoes it. For one more group of people. Okay. Okay. He exceeds. Expectations. Yes sir. Of one more group. Yes sir. Peter once he puts it has delivered me from the expectation of the Jews. Says now, I'm going to Mary's house. Question is, how does he know where prayer meeting is? I've got to tell you, when you pray, the Lord will connect you with other powerful praying people. I don't know who I'm talking to tonight. but I've got to tell you, you're not sitting on the pew. You're sitting on by accident. Reason you sat there tonight is because the lord wanted you to be connected to I wonder tonight, can you touch your neighbor and say, neighbor, if you want to know somebody that knows something about prayer, you sat in the right place. I know. I know. I know. Something about prayer. I had a problem. I could not solve. I tried and I tried. But I kept getting deeper involved. But when I turned it over to I gave it over to the lord and he worked it out. Just shake somebody's hand and say, I know something about prayer. Peter gets to the house and the Bible says that he knocks on the door. Loda comes to the door and they're still inside praying. the door. hears his voice and she does not answer the door. She turns around and and goes back and Wait a minute, y'all. He's standing in front of a closed door. He's standing in front of a closed door. Which means he had no problem getting out of prison. But now he's got a and they say to him, that's not him. That's just his spirit. That's not him. Because we've been praying but surely the lord has an answer to this the Lord had made a rain this fast but somebody needs to tell them the Lord exceeds expectations. Wait a minute here. I've got to close here but the Bible says in verse sixteen that they I'm about to bless y'all. In verse sixteen, they've been praying since verse five and they're now in verse sixteen and it's in verse sixteen that they set eyes on Peter. In verse sixteen, they see the answered to their prayer. The only problem is that Peter got out of prison in verse seven. Y'all missed me. In verse sixteen, they finally seen what had already taken place. Nine verses later, What they need to understand is that their blessing were already on the way. Their breakthrough is already on the way. And that's why you need to keep on praying. Help me close this message. Just one more time. Shake somebody's hand. Pray in the morning time. in the noonday. in the evening time. when the sun going down. always pray and tell a neighbor that's why you need to pray because your Tell a neighbor, your blessing, your breakthrough is already on the way and you ain't gotta wait until you see it before you shout about him. And if you're here tonight and you know it's already it's already on the way. It's already alright. Then wave your hand and tell the lord, thank him. It's already It's already on the way. Shout like you know it. Dance like you know it. Leap like you know it. It's on the way. It's on the way. That person ain't shouting with you. Go find a shouting partner. Go from one side to the other. Go find somebody that's not going to be jealous of your shout. And so shout with me. Dance with me. It's on the way. It's on the way. Let me make one more round. Let me slow down and tell somebody it's on the way. Let me say something to somebody over here. It's on the way. Let me talk to somebody right here. It's already getting better. The Lord has already fixed it. The Lord has already worked it out. Hey, y'all over there, go ahead and shout because the Lord has already made a way. Somebody got it, it's on the way. Tell somebody it's already on the way to your address. Go ahead and tell somebody and it wasn't no problem getting out. Deliverance ain't have no problem getting out. The trouble is, are you going to let it in? Let it in. Receive it. Receive it. Lift your hands. Lift your hands. soon as I stop worrying worrying how the story ends I let go and I let God let God have his way That's when things start happening. I stopped looking at back then. I let go and I I let go. couldn't seem to fall asleep. So much on my mind. I was searching for that peace. Peace I could not find. Then I kneeled down to pray. We're praying lord help me please. He said you don't have to cry. Cuz I'll supply your needs. Soon as I stop worrying. I let go and I let god Let god have his way. Let go. Let god. Let go. Let god. and let god soon as I stop worrying worrying how a story I let go and I let god let god have his way I want you to make your way to this altar if you can. This is the last night. I want to respond to this message. We're going to practice tonight. We're going to put this in practice tonight. Oh, but if storms don't cease, and if wind keeps on blowing in my life my soul has been anchored in in the love Now, listen, here's the assignment. We've been talking about it. We're going to do it real quick. For about 10 seconds, I want you to lift your hands, pray a prayer of adoration. Don't ask him for nothing right now. Just adore him for who he is. God, you are holy. You are above all. Ain't nobody like you. You are Jehovah Jireh. You are my shepherd. Now, now listen. Now pray a prayer of appreciation. Now tell him thank you for what he did. Now pray a prayer of intercession. I want you to pray for somebody else. Grab the person next to you. Just begin to pray for them. Grab them by one hand. Begin to pray for them right now. Lord, I pray for this person who's next to me. I want them to make it. I want them to hold on until they see their blessing. It's already been released. I'm praying for them now so that they can receive it. Here's the last one. Now, you tell him what you want. Ask him a prayer of supplication. He gonna do it. and testify. I prayed Thursday night and I kept on praying and the Lord did it for me. You're going to testify Sunday morning. I've seen him work. but if the storms don't cease and if the wind keeps on blowing in my life my soul Soul's been anchored. Whoa, my soul. Soul's been anchored. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, my soul. Whoa, been anchored. my my my my my my my soul. Can I get a witness in here tonight? I'm trusting and believing. I'm depending on him. I'm leaning on him and I'm waiting. My soul been anchored. Father in the name of Jesus. I thank you again for these precious people. Thank you for the people in this room. Lord, I thank you for those who are connected virtually. God, we make a commitment tonight to pray and watch you exceed expectations. Because you're not just a God who does it, but you're a God who overdoes it. Now God, we're getting ready to praise you one last time tonight. And since you exceed our expectations, We're about to give you a praise that exceeds your expectation. Because we're expecting you to do exceedingly, abundantly above. So we're getting ready to give you an exceedingly, abundantly above praise. In the name of Jesus. Come on, give Him an exceeding praise. Come on, give Him an exceeding abundant praise. One last thing, I'm gonna let you go. One last thing, I'm gonna let you go. One last thing, I'm gonna let you go. The biggest investment that Jesus made into your life and my life was Friday. He came to die. That was our expectation. He died. But he exceeds expectations. Send him on! Listen, the doors of the Lord's house stands ajar. If you are here, you need to be saved. Remain at the altar. If you're here, you need to be restored. You need a faith family, remain at the altar. Remain at the altar. You need to be saved. You need to be restored. You need a faith family remaining at the altar. Glory, glory, glory. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah! Listen, God answered prayer. We prayed for revival and God gave us a revival. Listen, my soul has been revived. And I'm just thankful that God heard us and he answered us in these three nights. of services set aside for revival. Listen, I don't want to belabor the time, but I want to express my gratitude to all of the ministries of New Bethlehem, prayed and participated. God revived us. He revived us together. I just think we're better in our relationships, our relationship with him, our relationship with our families, our relationship with our church members, and in our relationship with our community. And he has worked some things out and have gotten some things out of the way. And he has brought healing and deliverance in our lives. Now listen, this preaching and the lecturing was not in vain. Now we know what kind of heart we have. And we are not letting too much traffic in our heart to pack our soul down. We're not stony and thorny. We're not chasing and catting after the riches of the world. Listen, I often say that if you follow God, God will make blessings chase you. That's Deuteronomy 28. He'll make the blessings chase you Listen, so I thank you. I thank you. I I know we've been revived. We have better church now Yeah, we're better church now And the spirit of revival is going to live on and it's going to continue to work on us. Listen, these sermons and lectures, they're on Facebook, they're on Sermon Audio and YouTube. Replay. Go back and watch them. And I don't watch them busy, but you watch them being attentive. Because you'll get something out of it that you missed. So go back and watch. And listen, go on Facebook. I want all of you to go on Facebook, like and share. Send it to your friends, post it to your page. So somebody else can be blessed. Will you do that? Listen, thank you. Listen, I want to thank God for all of these preachers, our house preachers, and certainly our pastor, Dr. Edward Rogers, and Dr. Hammond, Pastor Hammond, Dr. Afonso Atkins, and Dr. Craig Oliver. Certainly we thank God for your presence and thank God for all of you, all of you, all of the preachers. Thank God for all of our visitors. Amen. You have blessed us with your presence and we pray that that God will bless you and he will continue to pour out on your life and we want you to also go on Facebook YouTube, sermon audio, amen, and here again. I'm from the country, and I'm gonna let you go. And we had cows, and the cows would chew grass, and when they were full, they would lay down. But they would keep chewing. I said, what they chewing on now? And they were chewing on the cud. They could regurgitate that grass from the first department of their four-department stomach and chew it again. You want to chew this again? Thank you, Deacon Brethren. Thank you, trustees. All hearts and minds good. Thank you, choir. Amen. Thank you, musicians. Amen. I text Eric the other day and said, what an awesome job you all are doing in music, rendering music unto the Lord. Amen. That you all are singing the Lord's songs. You're not singing me, my, and I. but you're singing unto the lord his songs and I really appreciate you and I appreciate uh the music that you are rendering for our worship experience. Anything else claim our attention. Come on. Thank god for your past again. Would you? I think I've only met him one time, but I think we have a giant in the pulpit tonight. I didn't know. I've heard his name. Is this Dr. Quentin Hamlin? Oh, God. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank God. Thank God for him. Y'all, I'm going to rehearse it again. I'm going to rehearse it again. I got to say it to you again. As smart as you are, If God has done for me what he's done for me in response to prayer, man, ain't no telling what you can do. that when these people pray, you hear them and answer them. In Jesus' name, amen.