What kind of judge are you

Well, my goodness, it's so exciting to be in this new building.

I have been dreaming about this thing for eight years.

And uh I've been telling everybody for eight years that it's coming, it's coming.

And I I have a pretty large group of pleball players I play with, and every every week in the last month, they'd be saying, are we in yet?

Are we in yet?

Because they're looking forward to being over here playing a lot of pickleball.

But uh and but more than that, folks, I was sitting there and I was thinking eight years ago, standing right out here in the woods, I was thinking, David and I were talking about the vision that God had given us for this church.

And I said, David, if God, since God's given us this 90 acres, we want to have one of the most dynamic complexes for this community in the whole region.

I'm talking about fields, I'm talking about walking trails.

Y'all don't understand.

We're just on about five acres.

We own 90 acres.

Can we give God an unbelievable?

You this is just the beginning.

You just hadn't seen anything yet.

But what a good start and beginning.

Amen.

Yes, amen.

But again, I cannot express in my heart uh words cannot explain how deeply I am thankful for every one of you guys and ladies that worked fervently and furiously to get this building ready in the last couple of weeks.

Can we give all of them a hand?

Amen.

You just don't have a clue the work that's been in uh put into this building.

And I know what many of you were thinking when you walked in, you said, or actually when you drove in, you kind of said, huh, that doesn't look like a gym.

And then when you walked in, you said, oh, this is not a gym.

Well, it is, it's a multi-purpose building, but uh we wanted it to be used seven days a week, not two hours a week.

Can I get an amen?

We want to reach hundreds and thousands of people.

And by the way, we just learned that Shelby County is the second growest, the second fastest growing county in the state of Alabama right now.

So that tells you hundreds of people moving into this area every week and month.

And uh we could not be in a better location than right where we are to offer what God's laid on our heart to offer to this community.

So I am so excited, and uh I mean that.

You just don't know how excited I am.

I want you to turn with me this morning, though, to Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Matthew, does everyone have their outline?

Do you all have an outline?

Let's make sure everybody's got an outline and you got a card.

All right, good.

Now let me just tell you, there's a new ministry that, how many of you are 55 and older?

Raise your hand.

Come on.

Come on.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Now I know you're not old.

So if you're 55 and older, and actually now they are all they've dropped the age.

I know y'all not gonna like what I'm about to say because my wife doesn't like it.

And if she doesn't like it, I know you're not gonna like it.

But really, the age of what they call a senior, I know nobody likes the word senior.

Nobody.

Nobody.

I I asked Paul, I said, Paul, you're in the 50s.

Uh he I said, you're a senior.

He said, I'm not a senior, that's for old people.

But if you're 55, so I'll I'll give you a break today.

But 50s, you're you're welcome too, what I'm about to say.

But if you're 55 and older, stand up.

Come on.

I'm standing.

Come on, come on.

I want you standing.

Look at this group.

Hey, come on, come on.

All right, all right, amen.

Now, I know they're wise.

This is the wisdom group.

But uh the last Wednesday of this month, September, and it's gonna start every last Wednesday of the month, we're gonna start a ball team.

Now, wait, now yes, we're we're gonna have a ball team.

We are an adult ball team.

And you gotta be 55 at least, but if you're 50 and want to be a part of the team, come on.

Come on.

Uh but listen.

And you said, what?

Uh adult ball team?

Absolutely.

You know what?

Write down the word B-A-L-L.

Ball.

An adult ball team.

Here's what it stands for.

This is what we're gonna use.

Are you ready?

B act B stands for B A Active L Live L Longer.

Be active and live longer.

Can I get an amen?

And we're gonna be the most involved, active, hey, ministry in this church.

We're gonna we're gonna capture this community.

We're gonna be a blessing to this community, and we're gonna have already got the mayors coming to speak to us and everything.

We're gonna be an active, hey, group, team, to be a blessing to our community.

Can I get an amen?

Amen.

So everyone, hey, again, 1030.

We'll start at 10:30.

10:30, but try I I promise you, so even if you can get off, if you need to, if you're not retired, 10:30 to 12, and uh last Wednesday in every month, and I need some leaders.

We got we I'm open for suggestions and all how we can become one of the most active uh groups in our community.

Can I get an amen?

So I'm excited about that.

I really am.

Judge not that you be not judged.

Now I know in a church like ours and other churches, there are no judges in a church.

Not we know that's not true.

In fact, our basic nature of humans is to be critical and judgmental.

Did you know that?

In fact, listen to what Richard De Haan said in his book, Men Sent from God.

And he lists some of the criticisms the pastors receives.

And here it goes.

If the pastor is young, they say he lacks experience.

If his hair, if his hair is gray, he is too old for the young people.

If he has, hey, five or six children, he is irresponsible.

If he has no children, he's setting a bad example.

If he uses a lot of illustration, he neglects the Bible.

If he does not use enough, he's not relevant.

If he condemns wrong deeds, he's cranky.

If he does not, he's compromising.

If he drives an old car, he shames his congregation.

If he drives a new one, he's setting his affection on earthly things.

Dr.

Hahn's point is that criticism is part of the public life of the ministry.

In fact, criticism is part of all of our lives.

In fact, I was doing some research and uh looking at criticism.

And do you realize you cannot do anything without being criticized?

I can promise you this morning, people will leave or people already have criticized some things about this building already.

Already.

And by the way, I don't want to hear them.

So take your criticism and take it to the parking lot.

Amen?

Because I don't want to waste my time.

But but I can promise you, you cannot do anything without being criticized.

The ever-present fact is people by nature are critical and condemning.

And it was kind of like the uh young man's friend, he was a bachelor and he told his friend, he says, I have brought several young ladies to the house, and my mother cannot stand any of them.

So his friend said, I've got an idea.

He said, Why don't you find someone just like your mother?

I mean, just like she, hey, just the way she talks, just the way she walks, just the way she acts, all her mannerisms, the way she, hey, does everything.

He said, That's a good idea.

So he did.

Brought her home.

Week later, his friend said, Did you, did you find a young lady?

He said, Well, I found a great young lady just like my mother.

Walk like her, talk like her, look like her, mannerisms like her.

He said, Well, how did it go?

He said, Oh, my mother loved her.

But dad couldn't stand her.

Now that's a joke.

That's a joke.

That's a joke.

Honey, I love you.

What I'm saying is, folks, and I know the ladies didn't like that, but I'm sorry.

Um I didn't mean it.

But hey, what I'm saying, folks, is criticism, judgmentalism is prevalent and real in all of our lives.

And sometimes we do it ourselves, and your excuses we can't help ourselves.

Well, I got news for you.

Yes, we can.

Yes, we can.

And so in Matthew chapter 7, verses 1 through 6, we see what the Lord says about criticism.

Matthew 7:1–6

And look at with me in Matthew chapter 1, verses 7.

Matthew 1:7

Well, actually, chapter 7, verses 1 through.

Let's look at the first couple of verses, but we're going to go through six of them.

Judge not that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.

That's a powerful statement Jesus made.

And with the measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again.

Oh, and then he says, and I love this.

And why beholdest thou the moat that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thy own eye?

Oh my goodness.

So we see that in these verses right here, the Lord is teaching us, and I really believe this, we can sum up the words that Jesus expresses here, that we are to be very understanding at how we, hey, discern and judge actions of other people.

Can I get an amen?

That's exactly what he's saying.

He's saying that there should not be any judgmentalism in us.

There should not be any discrimination in us.

And then he goes on and he gives us three powerful points I want to leave with us this morning that really, really sum it up.

As believers, we're to be known as men and women, not men and women that judge, but men and women that are discreet.

In fact, that's the word I want to use: discreetness.

What does it mean for you and I to be discerning and discreet in when we're dealing with situations that are uncomfortable or when we are dealing with situations with things that we don't agree with?

Can I get an amen?

It's very important because most of us blow it every time.

And let me just say, parents, I'm talking about with our own children too.

In fact, that's where, and especially our mates, that's where we blow it a lot.

Because we're not discreet with our loved ones as we are sometimes with others.

We take them for granted.

So this morning, I want us to see what Jesus said.

Hey, now he's not ruling out at all that we are not to discern things.

Okay?

Okay, he's not, in fact, we know in John 7.24, he says, do not judge, Jesus said according to peerage, but judge with righteous judgment.

And that righteous judgment, and I don't like the word judgment, but it is a good word, but I like, but let us judge with righteous discernment.

Amen.

That sounds better.

Because ultimately to me, there's just one judge.

Amen.

And that's the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not really a judge.

But now, as my mentor taught me, he said, but we can be good fruit inspectors.

You shall know them by the fruit that they bear.

Amen.

So that's, hey, that's what Jesus said.

So let's take it from that perspective.

Number one, the life of discreetness condemns judgment, which is destructive, in your outline.

The life of discreetness condemns judgment, which is destructive.

Judge not, verse one, that you be not judged.

From the context of the Sermon on the Mount here, it is obvious that the master, Jesus, was referring here to destructive criticism and vindictive accusations that the scribes and Pharisees were using, not just against Jesus, but against Christians.

No doubt about it.

In fact, Jesus severely condemned this kind of attitude and this kind of judgmentalism.

And he did it in two ways.

Number one, he said the law of prohibition condemns it.

Notice what he said.

Judge not, declared the Savior.

One of the things which God prohibits is destructive judgment.

He can't stand it, folks.

So the next time you and I have that potential to judge somebody pretty harshly, let's remember God hates it.

Can I get an amen?

He hates it.

He can't stand it.

To violate this law of prohibition is a serious sin.

It really is.

In fact, W.

E.

Vines, who was a great Greek scholar who wrote Vines' Dictionary of Greek words, here's what he said.

When you and I step to the position of being very harsh and judgmental and accusing, we have reached our lowest point in our Christian life.

Why?

Why?

Can you imagine?

That's pretty harsh.

Hey, but I'm pretty guilty.

Hello?

Now, hey, I'm not going to be by myself today.

Amen.

So we see this is pretty harsh words from our Lord.

Destructive criticism is the final evidence of a state of spiritual decline, is what W.E.

Vine said.

Wow.

In other words, the more critical you are, the lower you're getting.

Wow, preacher.

Wow.

In fact, before we are tempted to criticize another person, we should ask ourselves the following questions.

I wrote these down for me.

And I'm going to tell you, I've already stopped saying some things I was thinking about some other people by going through these questions.

Number one, is my criticism true?

Most of the time we criticize people without having the facts.

Oh, you wouldn't know anybody like that, would you?

How about the news?

How about our media?

How about the average person?

Oh, I heard.

And then you start gossiping and criticizing and judging, and you don't even know the facts.

Hello?

You with me?

Number two, is it necessary?

Is it ever necessary to criticize anyone?

98.5% no.

In fact, really, it's not any time to criticize somebody.

Because our goal is not to criticize them, our long is to come alongside them and help them.

And you don't criticize, now there can be some constructive, okay, help, but we never criticize them.

We never heard of put anybody down.

Did Jesus ever put anybody down?

No.

The woman at the whale, she'd been married five times living with a man.

And what did he do?

He loved her and told her.

Now he, hey, hey, he confronted her in a loving way.

He said, Listen, you're seeking living water, or you're seeking water to live by.

And he said, What you're seeking, you, hey, will not fulfill your life.

Hey, that the worldly water will not fill your life.

In fact, I believe he said, you know, men won't fill your life.

You've had five and living with one, you still aren't satisfied.

Hello.

Just a thought.

But he says, the water I give you, you'll never thirst again.

You'll never thirst again.

So, is it necessary?

Is it kind?

Third question.

Does the word of God support it?

Oh.

And now here's the last question.

Does it glorify God?

Whether you eat or drink, and whatsoever you do, you do all to the glory of God.

Wow.

You say, well, preacher, that'll shut my mouth.

Well, if the shoe fits, wear it.

Amen.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.

And that's verse 32 in Ephesians 4.

And in verse, watch verse 29.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of, that it may be building up.

And if it's, hey, and spoken graciously.

So if it's not good, if it's not necessary, if it doesn't build up, and if it's not spoken graciously, don't say it.

Can I get an amen?

So the law of prohibition condemns it.

Number two, the law of retribution condemns it.

Look at this.

Verses 1 and 2, he says, judge not that you be not judged, for with the judgment you judge, you will be judged.

Ooh, did you hear that?

It will be measured back to you.

In other words, he's saying destructive judgment and criticism has a way of backfiring.

Hello.

Have you ever thrown a ball against the wall and the thing was, the wall was so or the ball was so, should I say, hard, and it bounced front and back and hit you in the face.

Well, that's what criticism does.

You keep being critical, and I'm telling you, hey, you're gonna eat what you sow.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap.

Galatians 6, 7.

Amen.

So we see this right here.

He's really, he says, if you forgive men their trespasses, though, your heavenly father will forgive you.

But if you forgive not men's trespasses, now listen what it says.

Your heavenly father is not going to forgive you.

Can you believe that?

That's what Jesus said in Matthew 6, 14 and 15.

Powerful.

This simply means that if we remain destructive, critical, hey, and have bad attitudes towards other and refuse to forgive and forget, then we merit, hey, divine, and I wrote this down, retributions.

You know what those divine retributions are?

One, it shuts heaven up.

You remember we talked last week about the the uh barrier between us, the holy sins at the door knocking, you gotta open the door, and one of those, remember we dealt with the three barriers.

Areas to remove them so that you can have an intimate relationship with God.

Well, let me tell you something.

You cannot be critical and expect the door to be open to heaven.

Won't work, won't work.

And we see that.

That's what Jesus said.

And then God's voice is silence and forgiveness as we have withhell.

God penalizes all destructive judgment.

I thought about that for a minute.

If every time I am critical about someone or something, what if God was critical to me?

Now I'm gonna tell you what, that's got me on my knees, folks.

Even with my wife, if I'm thinking something about Susan, I think, ooh, I don't like that.

What if the Lord went, ooh, I don't like that in you every time.

Oh my goodness.

We can't be judgmental, folks, and have a spirit-filled life.

We cannot be judgmental and have a spirit-filled walk.

Oh, I said, Lord, please deal with my heart.

Don't let me be judgmental.

You remember the old saying, what goes around?

Say it again, what goes around comes around.

And the payoffs, and by the way, hey, it may not be by the ones that we've criticized.

Okay?

But I'm telling you, payday is coming.

You will pay.

You will.

So remember that.

Remember that.

Remember Haman?

Haman's gonna do away with uh Mordecai and the Jews, and he he, in fact, he went and got them built a hang and uh gallows, thank you, honey.

And he said, hey, we're gonna hang him.

We're gonna hang Mordecai.

And guess what?

Hey, they used a gallows on that, but it wasn't to hang Mordecai.

Haman ended up getting hung himself and his family.

So don't be careful.

Number two, the life of discreetness commends judgment, which is constructive, or commends discernment, which is constructive.

Look at verses three and five.

Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

Wow.

That means we're hypocrites, doesn't it?

Think about that.

He's saying the Lord Jesus now lays down principles on which judgment can be constructive and redemptive.

Or discernment can be constructive and redemptive.

And this is what I really, the Lord so opened my eyes, and I said, that's it.

That's what we want for CCW.

And Jesus taught that our thoughts, our words, our acts of judgment, we must carefully weigh our behavior in light of the cross.

And then he said, number one, we must not be hypocritical.

Write it in.

Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eyes, but do not consider the plank in your own eyes?

Such stinging words can really be evaded and avoided if we do some things.

We really can.

If we reflect on them, hey, on our own heart.

The next time you get ready to rip your husband or rip your wife, why don't you ask the Lord to say, Search me, O God, know my heart.

Try me, know my thoughts.

See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of everlasting.

Because see, if you're thinking evil, how in the world can you be thinking right?

Or if you're thinking critical, how can you be thinking right?

Amen.

If there's probably one of the worst sin in the church today is church people being so critical.

Next time someone wants to criticize you or your church or your pastor, say, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Can we pray first?

And then you grab their hands and you start praying, dear Lord, I beg you to search this person's heart.

Dear Lord, search my heart.

And oh Lord, if there's any truth to what they're about to try to tell me, let us pray for that to be corrected instead of sharing it with the world.

I bet you they won't find you again.

You'll shut the gossip up real quick.

Amen.

But that's what he's talking about.

Consider the implications of what Jesus is saying here.

Listen, he's saying the problem is we got a two by four in our eye while we're trying to get the splinter out of a brother's eye.

Can I get an Amen?

We can't even see our fault because it's so big.

Now I'm fixing to really sting us.

Okay?

Me.

Usually when you're judging and you're critical about something in somebody, are you ready for this?

Most of the time, that's the problem you're having yourself.

That's why it's so prevalent.

Hello.

Mmm.

Oh.

Oh me.

How do I know that?

Because it's scripture.

Listen to what Paul said in Romans 2.1.

Therefore, you are inexcusable.

Oh man, whoever you are who judge.

Now, watch this.

For in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself.

Oh, for you who judge, practice the same things.

Hello?

I didn't say that.

Don't get mad at me.

I'm just the paper boy.

I'm just the delivery boy.

Hello?

In other words, why are we so critical about an issue in somebody else's life?

It's because we know that's really in a mess.

And here's another thing.

Now this don't blow your mind.

We're so upset about it because we can't stand it.

But you it's not us and we're critical of somebody else.

Do you understand?

You're criticizing your own self.

Hello.

You okay out there?

This is dedication day.

Yes, we're setting the hey, we're setting the ground rules right up front in the new building.

Amen.

No critical spirit.

Can I get an amen?

Yeah, but no, there are no billy goat Christians here.

Always button.

There are no buttons.

Remember this.

When you're pointing your finger at someone, you got three fingers pointing back at you.

Amen.

You say, well, that just keep me quiet.

If it's not positive, you need to be quiet.

I'm really trying to do that.

It's hard.

Because I'm a choleric.

And what is a choleric?

Cleric means I speak my mind.

Did you know what the Lord said?

You need to clean the mind.

Hello.

Hello.

Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, especially in the area of criticism.

And the body language.

Thank you, honey.

Thank you.

All right.

All right, Adam.

Get ready, Adam.

I wrote this down.

We always have a one-liner for each message.

The essence, you want to write this down.

The essence of hypocrisy is to judge in others what you have not judged in yourself.

Is that not good?

The essence of hypocrisy is to judge in others what you've not judged in yourself.

Wow.

Number two, not only we must not be hypocritical, but we must not be hasty with our discernment.

First, remove the plank from your own eye.

In other words, we need to kneel at the cross.

We need to ask God to search us and deal with us before we even think about being critical of somebody else.

Listen to what Paul said in Galatians 6 1.

If a man is overtaken in any trespass, by the way, any means any sin.

You who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness.

Now what?

Spirit of gentleness?

Considering yourself lest ye also be tempted.

Wow.

Now we should never read this verse without underscoring the words.

Here we go.

Considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Powerful statement.

In other words, if we engage in more of a personal examination through our own self-analysis and self-adjustment, we would be less hasty to judge others.

1 Corinthians 11, Paul said, so let a man examine himself.

We need to examine ourselves.

All right.

Right there.

Red writing.

Wrote them to me.

When Jesus tells us to examine our motives and our conduct instead of judging others, here's what he's saying to me.

The traits that bother me in others are very often the habits that I dislike in myself.

Number two.

Ooh.

Ooh.

I'm trying to change Susan.

When I need to be worried about changing me.

Is that not our guilt?

Is that not our weakness that instead of us changing, we want to change somebody else?

Hello?

You okay?

Yeah, but preacher, I'm always right.

We think that.

Or we wouldn't be so critical.

That was you didn't see that one coming.

And then the third one.

We need to judge ourselves first.

Number three, we must not be harmful.

Notice what he says in verse 5.

First, remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck in your brother's eye.

Is that not awesome?

In other words, if we'll get right with God, then we won't be as critical and we can be con, hey, we can be constructive and we can be helpful instead of harmful.

Can I get an amen?

Is that not good, church?

And that's what Paul's saying here.

Oh, it's so beautiful.

In fact, I thought about this.

What is one of the most sensitive parts of the body?

The eye.

You do that, what do you do?

You start.

I want to close.

I close my eyelid immediately if something gets.

I mean, it's so sensitive.

Have you ever been to an eye doctor and he's got to do some surgery?

I've had one of those things, whatever you call them, cut off.

Yeah, I'm close.

It's a little thing on your eyeball that you need to have cut off.

But but have you ever had the doctor just, I mean, it's so, he's got to do it what?

Very patient.

He's got to be delicate.

He's got to be, uh, should I say, at his very best, being sensitive to you.

Now are you ready?

That is exactly what Jesus is telling us how we are to treat someone else if they've done wrong.

We're to be as sensitive and caring and kind and and and handling them as easy as we can.

I didn't say compromising.

Amen.

That's exactly what he's saying.

Okay, if there is a speck, don't forget you had a plank.

And you know how sensitive.

Do you know there's nothing more sensitive to a person?

Listen to me, I've been doing this 45 years.

There's nothing more sensitive to a person than when you nail them with their sin.

I promise.

Because they're already, they already know they're wrong and they already feel guilty.

So they don't need for you to pour a five-gallon gas can on it.

Amen.

What they need is for you to lovingly, hey, and kindly and patiently love them, sit down with them, just like Jesus did at the woman with the well, and just say, Let me help you.

The first words out of your mouth ought not to be, you're wrong.

The first words ought to be, can I help you?

I want to help you.

Amen.

They don't need to be told they're wrong.

Let me tell you.

They already know it in subconsciously, especially if they're Christians.

Now, if they're lost, okay, that's a different story.

I'm dealing with Christians right now.

You they already know because the Holy Spirit's already pricked their hearts.

Can I get an amen?

So, notice the word restore.

You know what that word restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness?

Two words there, restore.

It's kai tartizo.

It means to perfect, it means to restore, it means to completely, thoroughly repair.

Wow.

Now, it is the same Greek word used in the gospel for mending nets.

Now, you know how you had to mend a net back in Peter's day, he was a fisherman.

You had to be very, hey, slow, you had to be careful, you had to be precise, and you had to mend those nets.

Put that net back together so that it would be as stronger, stronger than it was before.

See, our goal is to sit down with those that are wayward, those that have wandered.

And we are to say, let us help mend you back, let us help put you back together, and let us help bring you back so that you'll be even stronger than you were before.

Is that not good?

Is that not good?

Which brings me to my last thing.

What a wonderful church this would be if all our judgments brought people together, mending their lives and restoring broken lives.

And oh, by the way, oh, I'm almost missing that.

Yeah, it's hey, in classical Greek, it is employed, the Greek word for setting a bone, a broken bone.

And I thought, look there.

Hey, we need to take all the broken lives and put them back together and put them back together to the point that they're better and stronger than they were before.

Is that not good, church?

Now, you let me tell you something.

We do that, if we mend and put people's lives back together, if we do that consistently and lovingly and patiently like we should, well, hey, this building, you hey, it'll be packed to the walls and out into the parking lot.

People are hurting, people are broken, the world's hurting, the world's broken, they need healing.

Our children need healing.

Our community needs healing.

There would not be any discrimination.

I'm so sick and tired of hearing about discrimination.

What we need is love.

We need to love one another as Christ loved the church.

I can promise you, we don't see color.

We don't see color.

We don't see social status.

Bless God, we see people.

Loving God and loving people.

We don't care who you are, what color you are, how much you have, what you don't have.

What we care is: do you know Jesus?

Do you know Jesus?

The last thing, the life of discreetness commands judgment, which is protective.

I've just been talking about it.

Two things though, so you can fill in the notes.

Personal experience with Christ, number one, the greatest thing you can do is share with other people.

Are you ready for this?

How Christ picked you up, put you back together, how he mended your life.

I'll never forget this.

I know Mary's watching.

She wrote me a beautiful thing this morning.

I said, Dad, I know you're so excited.

This was yours in David's dream.

I'm praying for you.

But I was preaching at a huge youth conference, and this young lady had walked down.

She was 17 years old.

And I was counseling with her, and she said, You don't know all that I've done, Pastor Danny.

I've been this and that.

I mean, it was horrible.

Abuse rape.

Just, I mean, she told me so much in about five to ten minutes.

She was broken.

God had just jumped all over her.

She just was, I mean, uncontrollably.

And let me tell you what I did.

I got up and I said, there is no way.

There is no way I can even deal with this.

I don't have the power to deal with this.

And I said something.

And to this day, that all my kids they rag me to this day.

But listen to the meaning of it.

It means so much to me.

I said, Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the kings, hey, men and all the kings' horses couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

But I know a man that can.

And his name is J-E-S-U-S Jesus.

He can put you back together.

He can mend you.

But nobody else can.

And then the last thing, not only is it a personal experience, it's a precious expression of Christ.

Oh, the greatest thing you can do is tell people how Jesus Christ has put your life back together again.

Amen.

That's it.

That's why we're here.

We're all broken people.

We all need mending.

Amen.

Because the Bible says all our righteousness is as filthy rags.

Isaiah 64, 6.

The Bible says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 3.23.

Folks, I don't care who you are here this morning or watching online.

Listen to me.

You can say, but preacher, you don't know what I've done.

Don't care.

I'm not worried about your past.

I'm very excited about your future.

Amen.

Amen.

And God's got a fantastic future for you.

Oh, Jeremiah 29, 11.

He's not thinking evil of you.

He's thinking what's best and good for you.

But you got to give him your all.

You got to give him your all.

You got to come as a broken, hey, broken sinner that needs the grace of God so that he can, just like Humpty Dumpty, pick him back, pick us back up, put us back together again.

And this time it'll be stronger and better than anything man could do.

I promise.

Every head bow, every eye close.