Thank you for what I already feel. Thank you for my brother. It's been good. It's good to have friends in this life. gone or whatever, I mean, because they're gone. And I thought about that. When you get saved, you get born again. Brothers have gone. Isn't that what it is? It must be true. Nothing takes the place of a brother. Thank you for that. I thought about that. I told my wife and everybody that was assigned to me, I don't. I don't. I thought about is there not a call. I thought about the last week or so at home, everything. When I'm at home, I thought about he wants to be right over here with me. I said he wants to play. I thought about I can do something and he comes and he wants to try to do the same thing. I thought about, but this morning, is there not a call? I've got another looking at it, but he's gonna be one day. He wants to be with Daddy. I thought about my home without Daddy. I thought about this morning. The children want to look like us. They want to be like us. I thought about that. I thought about, is he going to see me? Is there not a cause? There is a cause. There is a cause to walk on. Even though the world says there ain't no reason to. I've read the world will tell us there ain't no reason. Ain't no harm to come to church. The world will tell us they won't reach it. This morning, there is a cause. I thought about it when I was around all of these babies. How many of us has got lost objects on our homes? How many of us has got babies we're bringing up? There is a cause. I'm talking about my brother, and I'm not trying to embarrass him, but as I was talking back there in the prayer room, I was talking about some things he's been struggling with, I thought about this world is gonna pass away, but I thought about if we live for the Lord, there's a better day. There's a day that the devil's gonna be kissed off in your hand. There's a day that he ain't gonna bother us no more. There's a day that this place is gonna get dropped this place. My mind would still drive me crazy, but I'm glad there's trouble today. There was a talking back there, and the brother was preaching some scripture about I know I'm not reaching this scripture at all, but the Bible tells us that our threefold course is uneasily broken. You look to the left, you look to the right, you look in front of you, you look behind you. We need one another. I thought about that. I thought about we can stand up here, me and Joe, and I thought about we can line this front up, side by side, and if we're just standing, Besides, I want to know that the enemy can still get through. But I thought it was going to take arms, and it would leave my arm with his arm, and I thought it was going to be a lot harder for the enemy to get through. And search, that's what we're going to do. I thought about when I worked in the At Coach America, we had not mentioned this before, but we had to apply the thread, and we'd see whether it's a two-ply or a three-ply. And how you done that, you'd take and twist it, and you'd see them come together. But where I worked, we took that where it was separated like that, and we'd run it through a machine, and when it come out, you could apply it. It bonded together. I thought about church, that's the way we need to be. I thought about where we could come in I thought about once you find that treasure, yeah. I thought about you can find, you can find like a forklift with one end, and a forklift with the other. It ain't gonna break. I thought about a church, that's the way we need to live. The enemy wants to destroy this place. He wants to destroy you in this place. But it'll do. I thought about, yeah, I'm gonna find my father. Me and my wife, we're gonna find my father. And I thought about Joe, you've got a different family. We'll pick you up, and we'll link up to get you. When my family's fighting the battle, your family's fighting the battle with me. I thought about the battle of Bexar, and who's better than what we've been through. I'm glad I'm safe. I'm glad I'm back at my business home, who was on accident before we met. I don't want to bother him with this. All right. I thought about the Bible, the Lord wants us to be humble, to humiliate. I read a tale of a preacher, man. Here's a tale of my brother. He said if God would have me, to humiliate myself, as long as I can be in his presence. Church, we need to get that mind set on whatever you have me to do. All about church, we're living in a day and time. This place is worth fighting for. I thought about this place. I thought about church, the enemy. I thought about people, I'll tell you. Well, you don't need to do this. You don't need to be that. I don't believe in somebody I told this week, and I'm right now done. I thought about that. My dad, when I was in school and stuff, and people talked about my dad, it made me mad. It made me mad. But I know that my dad could fight for himself if he didn't say this. As a one person, if you talked about me in school, I thought that as a person, if you talked about her to my face, you had a fight on your hands. I don't like for you to talk about me, but this place, the mud. and that's my wife. But I thought my church, people are running the church now. It's a church, we better be a church. We better lead with humility. When we get saved, we become the body of Christ. I have no need. Oh, they are good for me now since long survived. ♪ What He could do ♪ What He could do ♪ Then I cried out for mercy ♪ I cried out for mercy ♪ It was then I prayed through ♪ It was then I prayed through ♪ Oh Lord I'm so happy ♪ Oh Lord I'm so happy ♪ That I learned to pray ♪ I'm well on my way ♪ I've chosen the right way ♪ My Lord's faithful feet ♪ I've started forever It's time. I'm homesick forever. To be with my Lord. He's real me a rich child. And I'll be to go through. Oh, Lord, I'm so happy that I learned to pray. I'm headed for a new beginning. As I kneel in the darkness in fear And I'll go down in the deep, the place that you used to remember. That's where I've brought you from. I'll stay behind you and see how far you've come. So why would you be thinking that I wouldn't see? If I walk on the water, can I calm the raging sea? I spoke to the wind, it hunched and I gave him peace. Didn't I run to your rescue? Didn't I hear you when you called? I walked right beside you just so you wouldn't fall. Didn't I leave all of heaven just to die for your sins? I searched until I found you. ♪ May it happen with all of you ♪ ♪ When you are in trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble ♪ ♪ There's a hand she must reach to help you, help you, help you ♪ ♪ Six days is not enough, not enough, not enough, not enough ♪ And I woke on the water, and I called the raging sea. I spoke to the wind, it hushed and I gave you my word. Can I run to your rescue? Can I hear you when you call? I walk right beside you just so you wouldn't fall. Can I leave all of heaven just to die for your sins? I searched until I found you, and I knew it all would end. Daisy, I've been looking back along this winding road to the old familiar markers. Though it may sound simple, but it's more than a cliche. There's no better way to tell you than to say, God's been good. ♪ He'll bless me on my wildest dreams ♪ ♪ As I go to sleep each night ♪ ♪ Though I've had my share of hard times ♪ ♪ I wouldn't trade them if I could ♪ ♪ Screw it all, God's been good to me ♪ Sometimes we play and I don't stay. I've cried some weary tears. But I feel His arms around me as I face my greatest fear. You see, I've had more gains than losses. ♪ For joy they heard as His mercies flowed ♪ ♪ Down on the earth, God's been good in my life ♪ ♪ I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams as I go to sleep ♪ Thank you for his love and his mercy. One more Sunday morning that he'd give us to be in his house. One more time we can praise him and thank him that we don't have to die without him. He has been good to us all. As long as I stood there, I'm glad that I'm not what I used to be. I'm glad that the Lord is able to change us and to help us. Matter of fact, I'm looking over even a whole crowd that if you'd asked me at one point in my life, I'd have never thought I'd be where I am today. I would have never dreamed that Nicky Young would be sitting over here, or Alan Thomason would be there, or that Dustin McMahon would be in the congregation. But look at what the Lord has done for us. It's not me, it's not you, it's His grace, His love, and His power. I wasn't able to change myself. Paul, you wasn't able to lay the bond down. And Joe, you wasn't able to put down the drugs. None of us are. That's the weakness of our faith. I'm glad greater is he that's in me than he that is in the world. I don't claim to be no singer, but Tim asked me to sing this song this morning. You help me, all right? Matter of fact, let's all stand. What you see before you ♪ God always wins ♪ I once was so broken ♪ And battered by sin ♪ The story that I tell you ♪ Is such a marvelous thing ♪ How love brought together A beggar I am to him. I hope that he forages the rags of my soul. You remember where you were. Remember what he brought to you out of it. Look back on what you deserve. Where you should be. I'm not standing on my own path. I don't raise my hands to glorify myself. I know what I was. I know what I deserve. Sometimes we look around, we look at life, and we look at the circumstances, say, Lord, is it worth it? I'm happy to report to you this morning, it's worth it. Every foot, every mile, every heartache, every valley we walk through, it will be worth it. Just to hear him say, well done, how good and thankful I don't need silver And I don't need gold I don't need the things of this world Yeah. Oh, wow. That's all that matters. He is the master. And he's my everything. He's all I need. When I'm in trouble, the call in a storm takes care of me. He's all I need when that time shall come. ♪ Victory's been won, He's all I need ♪ Don't scare me, don't make me nervous. Love His presence and His power. Matter of fact, want more of it. I hope that you do, even if you're here this morning and you lost or you backslid or you don't know where you stand with God, you won't find even a more loving bunch of people than they are here. Way greater and above our love, there's one on the right hand of the Father right now that loves you enough to die for us. Loves you enough to draw you in. It's a joy to have little Charlie Frazier with us this morning. So let's pray for him. God just help him, he's not a stranger here. I know that we've had some come in since he's been here. Amen, but he is. Amen, God's man, I believe that long in my heart. Amen, so let's pray for him. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. I was the sheep that he found, the sheep that went astray, and the one that he left to 99 to come again. I've experienced it. Amen. And if you've experienced that this morning, you can say amen. Amen. So we know how good God is, but we know how rotten man is. And I know how that it is for me. I know I struggle just like I'm sure all you men do. There's things in our lives today that always can use adjustments. Amen today. So if you're here today and you're one of them that don't need adjustment, I don't even know why you're here. Amen. We come here to understand what God wants us to adjust. Amen. I come here for correction. I come here to be rebuked, reproved, and exhorted. Amen. And I felt like we've been exhorted this morning. Amen. And I felt like there's some on the altar, maybe there's been reproved. I don't know. Amen. I love Him today. God's good to us and certainly today. John chapter number 10. This morning, this is what the Lord gave us today. I just appreciate God today. Let me say I love you. I appreciate both Charlie and Christ has come back over. I'm on a new journey now. I don't pastor no more, so I'm traveling around. I'm finding joy in what God wants me to do. Amen. I believe when you get to work God wants you to do, then you can be blessed. Amen. I love him today. God's good to us today. Amen. And I'm going to tell you today, you're not looking at a man that's worthy of nothing. I was worthy of hell. That's about all I could cut. That's all I could work up in myself was hell. And when I look in the mirror every day, I see that man that's going to fail me first. Amen. I don't see my wife, my children, and my daddy's not there, I'm there. And I've got to keep that man in check today. John chapter number 10, you pray for me. I won't be before you too long. I don't feel that this is as long as it takes today. You pray for me. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter opened, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. And the Bible said, hear the parable. This parable spake Jesus unto them, but they understood not what things they were, which he spake unto them, then said Jesus unto them again. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. and all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door, and by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and destroy, and I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep, but he that it is in Ireland, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, saith the wolf coming, and weaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and have known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life, for the sheep, and other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power. I lay it down. I apply her to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. That's where we'll stop reading right to her this morning. But I want to back up here. I read all that that's needful today. Amen. To understand where you belong today. In the sheepfold or maybe you don't today. Amen. But listen, this is where I want to take my text. I love it today. In verse number 4, And when he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Amen. And I want to preach just a minute this morning on the thought, the voice of the Lord. Amen. I'm going to preach on that just for a minute. Amen. I was thinking about Amen, now through the last couple of weeks I was thinking about this scripture today and I began to read and begin to, amen, begin to decipher things. Amen, in my childhood I can remember I remember in my childhood how we lived in a place called Long Holler. It was out in the country, amen, and about dusk and dark. I could hear my mom when I was up on the hill playing like kids do. When supper was done, my mom would step out on the porch and begin to call, Charlie! Charlie, and I knew then it was time to go home. And I knew that voice that called me down there to the house. Amen, that's the way it was. In 1989, I met a man. Amen, I didn't know nothing about. Amen, but I heard his voice. And brother, it's the sweetest voice that I know today. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm talking about the voice of the Lord. Thank God today, amen. Down in Genesis, we'll find the voice of the Lord. He said, let us meet man in our amen. Oh, thank God today, and the voice of the Lord came walking through the midst of the garden. Amen. The voice of the Lord, amen. The Spirit of the Lord, amen. I was thinking about that. How the Spirit of God moved upon the water. How the earth was dark and void and without form. And the voice of the Lord said, let there be light. And there was light. Let there be a firmament in the midst of heaven. And he put it there. He hung the star. He hung the moon. He told the sun where the sun. Praise God for the voice of the Lord. Praise the Lord. The voice of the Lord. Oh my goodness. The voice of the Lord. Have I heard His voice? I do. I've read about his voice. Amen, and God said, amen in the book of Genesis 1. I don't know how many times it's said it, but and God said, and God did, the word and the voice of God. Ezekiel 37, amen, told, he told Ezekiel. He asked him, he said, can these bones live? And Ezekiel said, Lord God, down us. Thank God He sent him down in a valley, above the dry bones. It was very dry, and the bones were scattered. He said, go down there and prophesy to them, and say, hear the word of the Lord, that I'm gonna tell you something today. There's not but one person can help you today, in His name is Jesus. You may be dry, you may be broken, you may be out of place, you may be dead spiritually, but if you'll hear the word and the voice of God, he can get you out. He'll get you out. The voice of the Lord. can get you out. In chapter 9, the book of John. He came down there, and the Pharisees could not get Him. They could not see. Amen. The blind man could see. The deaf could hear. Amen. The impotent people could walk. But the Pharisee could not see who He was. Amen. But listen to me. He said, I've come. He said, and I bring judgment. He said that them at sea might be made blind. and them which are blind. I can't see. You know what he told the Pharisee? He said, until you get blinded to your own self-righteousness, you'll never receive me. Amen. I'm going to tell you something today. You can't save yourself. You can't help yourself. Amen. You can't heal yourself. Thank God you can't give yourself joy. You can buy every boat in the county. You can buy up all the land. You can have all the cattle on the field, but if you can't hear the voice of the Lord, you're miserable today. The voice of the Lord. God help us a minute. I've been thinking about the voice of the Lord, how powerful it is. Amen, there's a time. Amen, the book of Samuel. That Samuel, his mother had brought him down to Eli's house. And old Samuel laid upon his bed. And he heard a voice. Oh, my goodness. And he went down there and he said, Eli, did you call for me? And he done it again. And he went down there again. And finally, Eli said, hey, when you hear that voice again, you say, hey, here I am. Lord, here I am. Hey, man, you know what happened to Samuel that night? The Bible said there was no way. Amen. There was no open vision. Oh, hear me today. And the Word of God was precious in those days. Thank God He's still precious today. Amen. The Word of God. Amen. Listen, He's still precious today. What's the Word of God have? It has eternal life. Amen. He said, study the Scripture. You hear me? And then He said, you think you have eternal life? Why did he say that? Because he knew that not everybody that read that word would be right. Not everybody would be saved. But it's a decision today. You've got to move. The voice of God spoke to him. Amen. He was converted. I believe that. And here he was, one of the greatest priests. Old Samuel, one of the greatest. Amen. Had power. Talked to God. Heard the voice of God. He made clear translation. Amen. Elijah the same. Hear me today, Moses the same. A clear translation. Sometimes I'm going to tell you what the world does. It's got a lot of church people all confused. We're all jumbled up in it. Hey man, we're going here and there. We're trying to find happiness in everything. And we put church on the back burner. And we put fellowship on the back burner. And we put our worship on the back burner. But my friend, you've walked away. And the voice of God says, come unto me. All you that labor and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. I'm weak, I'm lonely. He said, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. The voice of God. Brother Trent, I call him Trent, but amen, but Brother Trent's daddy was a talking back there about them two horses and work horses. How that one get ahead of the other. But if you could get them to work. And brother together, the weight they could pull, the accomplishments they could have, Jesus knew that. He said, take my yoke upon you. What's he mean? He's in it with you. Amen. Do you ever want to teach? I didn't work no horses. I didn't work no mules. But I've sat around enough circles to know. Old man told me, he said, if you take that old mule, hey man, it ain't got no experience. And you'll yoke him up with one of those. He'll teach him how to plow. He'll teach him how to lay a straight row. He'll teach him how not to be distracted. He'll teach him how to go forward. Amen. If we'll yoke up with the Lord and the Lord. Thank God. Thank God. Thank God. You can do great things. Amen. He told the Pharisee. He said, listen, you're blind. Amen. Hey, listen. He told him, he said, listen, until you become blind, you'll not ever be able to see. I read over that, read over that. Let's read that. Let's read that right back there in the book, the ninth chapter of the book of John. Amen, a few scriptures back. It said that Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, that they which see not, that might see, and they which see might have been made mine. Amen, you know what hinders people from being born again? The things in their life. They're held bondage. Amen, in bondage by the things that they got. And the friends, they're afraid. They may not to be wanted anymore. Hey, God, listen to me today. I'd rather be wanted by the Lord. I'd rather be able to hear that voice of God. I have every friend on every corner. I have every dollar in the land. I'd rather have, like the old song says, give me Jesus! Give me Jesus! That's the one I need. I don't need my wife, I don't need my children, but I need the Lord. Ain't that right? The voice, amen. John came preaching. He had that voice as one. A crying in awareness. I prepare you the way of the Lord and make you pass straight. That voice rang out. Amen. They tried to listen. They cut his head off, but his voice sounded on. They cut his head off. He ran to the chop block. Thank God. One rider said to live is cry. to tithe gain. Paul said, listen, I've counted everything, and my life is done, that I might win him. The voice of the shepherd, he said, my sheep will hear it, and they won't follow the stranger, and they'll run from him. Makes me wonder about people that run to every... The Bible said not to lay hands on no man suddenly. But I swore to you over at the house, I believe if a man went by kicking a lard can and said this is the way to heaven, every church in the community I live would line up. and go give him a lard can and kick it down the road. But brother, an old time man of God had to stand behind the pulpit and say, this is the way, this is the truth, this is the life, and his name is Jesus. They'll mock at him, they'll rally, hey listen, they'll throw him under the bus, they'll stone him, but I'm telling you today, our people deceive, and they're just like the Pharisees. until they become blind. They'll never be able to see who God is. Ain't that right in the back? Amen. The voice of the Lord. He said, I am the door. I am the shepherd. I know the porter, guys. That's what he said. I know him. He opens the main. We go in this door. You come through me. You come through me, there is no other way. That's what he said. You know what he said about the Pharisee? If you come up any other way, you're the same as a thief and a robber. That's what he said. What did the enemy come for? To kill, to steal, destroy. Boys, this is who's after us today. The enemy, he wants to kill our influence. He wants to steal our joy. and destroy, and destroy our soul. The voice of the Lord. I've heard him, ain't you? Have you heard him? Have you heard Jack? Have you heard? Woman down in John 4 said, hey, come see a man. Have you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard about him? Hey, have you heard about him? Come see a man. Come see a man. Come see a man. And told me all there was to know about me. He knew I was second. He knew I'd been married first. And he knew it today. But he said, hey, I'll still give you a drive. Have you heard him? Have you heard him? Brian Bartimaeus stood by the wayside, sitting there. He cried. They said, shut up. He cried louder. Until you heard the voice of the master. He said, what do you want? What can I do for you? He said, that I'm unseen. How come when the Lord calls you, why are we like the blind man? I want to see. Why are we like that little woman by the well? He knew all about me. He showed that preacher, Brother CJ, everything that was going on in my life. Hey man, why don't you desire a drink? Why don't you want a drink of that fountain? He said, I'll make it from your belly full of rivers of living water. Have you heard? John, have you heard? John chapter number 8. This little girl heard the voice of the Lord. Amen. She was caught in the very act of adultery. Amen. And by the law of Moses, she was supposed to die. But there was a man standing there that day. She said, hey. He said, hey, I'm going to tell you something. All you Pharisees, you scribes, you just come here to see something new you can write. He said, well, write this down. Write this down. Ye without sin catch the first thorn. He stoops on the ground. He said, ye without sin, he wrote on the ground. He wrote the law. In the law, this woman's supposed to die. In the law, this woman's supposed to die. But what they forgot is, they forgot the book of Leviticus. They was dealing with the Word of God. What did the voice say to them? The voice of God. He said, let's go over to Leviticus 17. So this ain't where a scowl's supposed to be stoned, but where's two or three witnesses at? It wasn't that she wasn't guilty. She is guilty. Hey, but you know what the Bible said? Every one of them that said, hey, this woman's an adult, she's been called, every one of them was convicted by their own conscience. The whole conscience. He said, you read the law of Moses, yet you circumcise on the Sabbath. I heal a man and I'm a devil. He knew the Word of Him. He was the Word that was the voice of His Father. He said, go ahead, you without sin. Where's the two or three out at Solomon? Where's the man at? See, that's what the devil likes to do to a lot of people. Get them out by their self. Get them out where he can speak to them. Get them away from their flock. Amen, you that says every Sunday morning, you don't come back on Wednesday, you don't come back on Sunday, you don't know, Sunday night, you don't know what danger you're putting yourself in. Have you heard? She said, let me tell you about a man. I was caught. I was guilty. That might have been her sister back there. Who knows? I don't know. Amen. She's going to die. But she wasn't going to die. But he did tell her this. He said, hey, neither do I condemn thee. Go sin no more. See, he said, hey listen, I'm going to show you grace today, Alan, but grace ain't an excuse to go out and willfully sin. Or else the grace that you have is pretty watered down. The grace that will not change your life will not save your soul. What did John 8, 32 say? He said, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. All the other verses say, set. There's a big difference. There's a big difference. There's a big difference between set and make. What's the voice of God do? He sets me free. No, He makes me free. If you go out there and you set old cow free, and old goat, you say, go on, do what you want. But when you make something free, you're a governor. You make sure it's not down in the thicket. That shepherd made sure they went in the thickets. And David said, I'll notice my head with oil, my cup runneth over. He knoweth my head with oil. Why? You know why shepherds anointed sheep's head with oil? I know some of y'all know it. I don't even have to say it. Because they're going to stick their face in some broiler patches. And they're going to be nosy and snoopy. And they're going to get in the masses sometimes. And the flies are going to bother their eyes. And they're going to blow. But one thing can help them. Be anointed. Get anointed. Get anointed. Get anointed. Get the oil in your life. Put it on you. Get anointed. Shout. Run. Clap. Amen. Stay anointed. Church ain't a place to come die. Let the redeemed say so. It wouldn't even matter if I got to preach if y'all just went on. Praise God, go on. I ain't here to be saw. If we'd all be honest, we wouldn't want nobody to see where we failed this week. But I'm not here to tell you how I've failed. But I'm here to tell you how I overcame. He said, unless you come blind, you'll not see. But I've come to them that can't see be made whole. You take somebody that knows it all, you can't help. You take somebody like us, Nicky, He came to his own. The Bible said he instructed his disciples, do not go down to the Gentiles. You just go down to the Jews. You go to your people. He came for his own. But his own would not see him. Newsflash, they're still looking for him today. Why do you think they're beating their head against the wall? Why do you think? Because they don't believe he's king yet. They got a golden gate over there. He's already been through it. Woo! When they do what? When they took him down there and looked at all the temples. They took him down there and looked at all the temples. He stood there and looked at it and said, wow, 40 years, huh? Hey, 46 years. He said, you tear this one down, I'll raise in three days. They didn't even know what he was even talking about. They didn't know the voice of Jesus. They didn't hear his voice. They're still in the bushes. They're still lost. You know how the Gentiles got in? They believed. You know how the Jews get in? They'll believe. Ain't that right? He loves everybody, red, yellow, black, or white. They're precious in His sight. I don't care where you're from, God will save you if you believe Him. Got down there in the wilderness, come out of Egypt, getting a grumble, complain, didn't believe God, and they died in the wilderness. Buddy, I don't want to die down here. Spiritually, every one of us is going to die. Literally. We don't know where it is. We don't know. Maybe some of you got your burial plot. You may not even need it. Jesus may come today. It's a dangerous thing. It's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a just God. He stood outside America that one day, didn't he? He settled Jerusalem. Have I wept for you? And I'd send my prophets to you. You wouldn't listen to them. You killed them. You've stoned them, guys. They was going to stone Jesus if he had to make his way out of the temple. Because he spoke with more authority than they had. They couldn't understand how in the world did he know all that letter? How was he so educated? He was just a gardener's boy. See, that's what the world looks at you and says. Well, they're idiots. We're out here on Sunday fishing. We're enjoying our life. We're living it up. We're living every day like it's our last. No, you ain't. If you was living it like it's your last, you'd repent. Realize that you're going to stand before God. And the last voice that some people will have is depart from me. That's all they'll hear is depart from me. And their whole life, he said, come unto me. Let me help you today. Paul's on Damascus Road. He's blinded. Now he sees. Ain't that something? He could see the law. He saw the law. He knew the law. That's why he's doing what he was doing. He thought he was in the right. These bunch of crazy Gentiles. I'm just going to throw them in jail. They're going to pay me tax. I'm going to kill them. The Bible said he held them. Hey, you know what that word held means? He drug them by their hair. Children running ahead when they come into villages. They knew why he was there. But one day on the road to Damascus. Can God help me? Just hold on a minute. I'm going to help you. Are you a murderer? Can I ask you today if you're lost, are you a murderer? Can I ask you today, did you ever cause the church to commit blasphemy? Paul did. Paul did. Hello? Well, Saul did. They called him Saul. They changed his name, but he's still Saul. But see, when you get born again, you get a new name. See, you used to be a drunk. Now you ain't no drunk no more. You used to be a whoremonger, a whore, whatever. Now they don't call you that no more. You know what you are, Alan? You're a child of the King. You heard his voice. What happened to Paul on the way to Damascus? God changed his name. I don't want to recognize you as Saul no more. I will call you Paul. And you're going to preach the gospel. And I will show you, amen, what you must suffer for me. Paul said gladly. He's blind. He's going down there to Ananias. And the mask is Ananias scared to death. This is Saul. He's talking to the Lord. You're bringing him down here. He doesn't cause trouble in the church. He knew the law, but until God blinded him, he didn't know Jesus. You can be a good moral person. You can do everything right. Maybe you ain't never cussed a day in your life. God help, that's awesome. Maybe you've never drunk a drop in your life. Maybe you've been good to every neighbor you have, but you're still lost. And you're still blind. You still don't know the voice of the Lord. Where you at today? Lost. Lost. Lost. Lost. Young, old, whoever you are, you're lost. You're looking for something in your life. And you're waiting and you're listening. And that voice just said, come unto me. Have you heard his voice? The man down there by the pool of Bethesda, I'll get to that in a minute over there. But the man at the pool of Bethesda, he laid there 38 years. Somebody brought him to Bethesda and laid him by the pool. And every year, somebody got in before he did. Till one day he heard a voice. He said, why ain't you got in there, bud? In other words, he said, I have no man to put me in the pool. There's always somebody, this is me talking here. There's always somebody, Charlie, getting in front of me. You know, that's what the devil, the devil give people excuses today. You don't need to go that hard. You don't need to get in. You're not important. You've been coming here all this time. Nobody, and listen, the devil give you all kinds of stuff, but can I say something? When you hear the voice, you know what the voice said to him? Get up. Take your bed. And he did. See, the voice changes everything. The voice of God. The voice of Jesus. When we heed, Paul gets down there, Damascus, and I think he's blind for what, two days, three days? And an ice lays his hands on him, opens his eyes. Two years he remains. Then I think about three and a half years he goes on the backside of Arabia. And guess what he's learning? He already knew the law. Guess who's getting learned and who's getting to know? That voice I heard on the way, you mean that's him? I'm going to go out here and see what he's got to say now. And he took a murdering man that caused the church to blaspheme, caused havoc, read it in the Bible, caused trouble in his life. He was a brawler, a fighter. I mean, he thought he had it right, thought his religion, thought he was doing pretty good for God. But until he heard the voice, until he became blind, he could not see. And that's what he told the Pharisee. He said, you're going to have to be blinded before you see. Your pride says you know more than me. Your pride says that I'm a devil. Your pride says that I'm a blasphemer. But you cannot see with your eyes what I've done for these people. I'm about done here. with this scripture and stuff. I've heard his voice so many times in the Bible. You read Paul and Silas, Peter's in prison. I mean, you name it, go on down. You sent the angel down there to Peter, smote him on the side, tell him to get up, bind on his sandals, let's go, we're getting out of here. So many times God wants to help us. Sister, will you come to the piano, please? So many times, I hope you got something out of that. Don't, don't, don't, don't pay attention to the enemy. The Highland says, you got plenty of time. But the good shepherd says, come. One writer said, seek the Lord. Why may it be failed? Call on him. Why is it here? Why wait? Don't you want to be a part of the flock? The sheepfold of God? Man, I'm gonna tell you something. Life throws a lot of things at each and every one of us. But I've learned some things in life. Brother said it a while ago. I've learned that when I was in the world, when I was in the world, that when my money run out and all the advantage from my friends run out, they's gone. I'm setting out the voice in my mind. I'm in the wrong place, that's what I say, but I never would move. And one night in Johnson City, I sat on the side of a bed. CJ, I was dripping sweat, heart racing out of my body, and I heard the voice. He said, Charlie, if you ain't gonna preach for me, I'm gonna kill you. That's what he told me. And I thought in my mind, there's no way I can get out of the mess I'm in. I mean, I was in bondage, I could go on, but I ain't gonna go on about me. But I was in a mess, I mean a mess, a mess. That's what I was, I was a mess. I started leaning into everything else for joy and happiness. All these things fell on me in my life at that time. I couldn't get enough money. I couldn't get enough beer. I mean, just think about it. I mean, I ain't going to uplift that lifestyle, but I couldn't get enough. It never would solve the problems in my life. To the night that voice, Jesus, come to me. and told me what he said. He told me the truth to get my attention, open my eyeballs to see where I was really, how close I was to going to hell. I couldn't imagine going to hell, no one I know today. Hell's gonna be bad. But if you could think about this, burning and at the same time remembering the chances that God give you to come and receive him in your life and give you a better life, that's all he asked. What's it cost me, preacher? Not nothing. But I'm going to tell you what it will do. When you get born again, it don't cost you nothing because what you had wouldn't mean nothing no more. My life's His life now. My walk's His walk now. It didn't cost me nothing. It cost Him everything. I still got a free gift today. but I have to obey him. I have to do what he says. I have to make difficult decisions in my life. I still have to do those things. If you're here today and you're lost, I believe somebody is, I don't know, I just believe in my heart. Somebody's here today without Christ. You have no assurance that when you walk out the door today, Let's even make it back to your place of residence. Your residence, you may never see it again. I may never either, as far as that goes. I may never see my daughters again. I may never see my grandson again. I may never see my mom. I may never see my brother or my sister again. This may be the last time you see me in this body. That's how uncertain life is. And why in the world would you want to play with eternity? Are you trying to scare me? Jude said some saved by fear. Pulling them out of the fire, despising even that garment that's spotted by sin. I'm going to tell you something today. When you get a glimpse of God, you get a glimpse of where you could be going today, you'll gladly give up what you're holding on to. Would you do it the easy way this morning and just come? I don't know a big lot of you today. I know some of you. You know me. But if you'd like to pray today, won't you come? Can I invite you today? Can I invite you? Have you heard His voice this morning? Wouldn't you like to have what you've seen this morning? Wouldn't you like to have them testimonies you heard? Wouldn't you like to have that peace this morning? Wouldn't you? And if for some reason you're delaying your coming, let me ask you why? Why? Why? Why wait? Why? Why? When he spoke to you, he don't have to come back no more. When he says the Holy Ghost will deal with you, he don't have to do it no more. You hear him? You want to come today. So you'll play one more stanza. But do you want to come? Time? There's an old song out years ago, somebody may sing it here, I don't know. But it says, if Jesus comes tomorrow, what then? If the sky turns black as midnight in the middle of the day, somehow you knew that Jesus would soon be on His way. Would you have to beg forgiveness? Or could you reach out and take His hand? If Jesus comes tomorrow, what then? The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord. The beginning of knowledge is to fear Him. I don't know much. I know the Lord. He wants to help you today. If you hear that voice that speak to you right now, would you come? Young man, young lady, older lady, older man, what would you hold on to? What's worth it? What preacher I would, but my friends just wouldn't understand. I'm gonna tell you something, I quit caring what my friends thought a long time ago. They ain't got nothing to do with my eternity, it's Jesus. My friend is Jesus today. In time of death and my family, I've leaned upon Him. In time of sickness, I've leaned upon Him. I've prayed and I've hoped and there's been days that I've prayed and I've not seen them answers yet. Why do you still serve Him? By faith, that's how. Through faith, it's by faith that we're saved. It's not of our own worth. It's nothing that you can do to be saved but trusting Him, having faith in Him. Man, what are we going to do? Failures come to the greatest Christians. Some of them that you've looked up to in your life have spent more time repenting than anything. It's a repenting way. Maybe you're here today and you're in a backsliding condition. Maybe you're here today, and you walk with God, but you let your failures keep you out. Every time you fail, you'll quit. Every time you fail, you quit. No. An old man of God told me one time, he said, Charlie, a winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Come on. Come on. Come on, I beg you this morning. Hear that voice. He's done so much. We see His examples in the Word of God. I didn't touch half of it. Listen, it ain't in me, it's in Him. He knows what we need this morning. He knows what you need. While these are still praying, would you like to come? I mean, there's room at the cross, guys. It's all level up here. I come and preach about my shame. You don't have to tell everybody what's going on in your life. You tell Jesus. Tell Jesus. You got it right until you can. All right. Brother Charlie.