Hand Me Downs Giving To The Next Gen - Until All Have Heard

Well, hallelujah. Honey in the rock. Amen. Give

the Lord one more good hand clap of praise. Yeah.

Hallelujah. If you have your Bibles, turn with

me to Matthew's Gospel. Continue to be in prayer

for Brother Mills. They're going to take him

to the hospital. Get him checked out. Sister

Sandra said it just happened this morning. He

just started feeling bad. So we want to remember

him in prayer. Amen. Thank you for being in the

house of the Lord today. For visiting with us.

We trust that you've already felt and encountered

the presence of the Lord through your worship.

You do realize it's your worship that matters,

not everyone else's. Amen. In spite of what anyone

else does, if you will worship, the Spirit of

the Lord will touch you. Amen. He comes to dwell

in the praises of his people. And if you'll praise

him, it doesn't matter what's going on around

you. It doesn't matter what others are doing

or what's going on. The Lord will come and meet

you. The Spirit of the Lord will find you. Amen.

He found Paul and Silas in a prison down deep

in the bottom, and he can find you. Amen? And

I'm thankful for that. Matthew's Gospel, very

familiar in the 28th chapter. We're continuing

in our Hand Me Down series. There's probably

going to be a few more of these. I didn't realize

when I started that this would go as far because

you... been here very long, you know I'm not

a series type. That's just never been my thing.

So when I get in one, I tend to wear it out.

We got a few more to go. I do know that. Amen.

Matthew 28, 18 reads, and you've heard this if

you've been in or around church at any point

in your life, you've heard this. And Jesus came

and spake unto them, saying, All power is given

unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore

and teach all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the

Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things

whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am

with you always, even to the end of the age.

In Acts chapter 1, verse 8, it's a very familiar

Acts 1:8

passage of Scripture with us. as far as our missions

emphasis goes. And after that, the Holy Ghost

has come upon you. You shall be witnesses of

me, unto me, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and

to the uttermost parts of the earth, to the world.

You're going to be a witness. And today, on our

emphasis of missions and just getting our mind

back on the mission again, I want to speak to

you on this thought until all have heard. We've

got to pass to the next generation. We've got

to hand down the desire to complete the Great

Commission. You say, well, it'll never be completed.

Well, just hold on a minute, and we'll see about

that. I'll pray for you if you pray for me, and

we'll make this as expedient as possible. Amen.

How many of you discern and count what's in the

atmosphere today? Anybody besides me? Okay. All

right, so let's pray. Father, we love you. Thank

you for your goodness, your mercy, the abundance

of your love. I thank you, Lord, for the power

of your grace and that supernatural touch from

heaven as the Holy Ghost moves upon us. I pray,

God, now that you'd have your way in the remainder

of this service. Go with and be with our brother.

Strengthen his body and those who are unable

to be here in the house today. We have many of

our church family who are sick. And I ask, God,

that you would touch them physically today. Touch

their body. Increase their strength, Lord, and

we'll be quick to praise you. Now, Lord, help

me preach in Jesus' name. And the church said,

amen. You can be seated in the house of the Lord.

Part of our mission statement for our church

is that it's the whole gospel for the whole man,

for the whole world. That's our statement. I

remember coming a little over seven years ago,

finding that statement, asking and finding that

that is our mission statement is our church.

And there was no reason to change that because

that still is the goal. Amen. I have discovered

over the years in pastoring different places,

every time somebody would roll through in about

two years, two and a half years, and they'd roll

on, they'd leave an unfinished vision statement

or a mission statement. And people were just

so confused, we never stuck to anything. I thought,

well, if there's anything we're going to stick

to, it's going to be preaching the whole gospel

for the whole man. for the whole world. Amen.

I don't know that you could get any more clear

in a statement than that. And then as we've adopted

the verse 8 in chapter 1 of Acts as our means

and purpose on how to do that, just simply taking

the gospel both local, near, far, and wide. Amen.

Jerusalem being our surroundings here at Hopewell,

our Judea being our state of Tennessee, our Samaria

being the United States of America, and then

the other... parts or anything beyond that border.

And we have endeavored to engage in some shape,

form, or fashion in all four facets of that mission

statement, amen? And I think that's the reason

God is blessing us and God is blessing you, for

we're looking beyond our own selves, amen? So

many times, if we're not careful in a church,

we'll just get so inward focused that we forget

that there's a lost and dying world right outside

our door, amen? And so it's not that we're perfect

in doing it, not that we do everything we need

to do, but we are trying our best, amen. And

if the Lord will open our eyes, we'll get in

a little bit deeper, amen. Just show us the way.

So when we think about today being... Our mission,

if it's a Sunday, and how that God is continuing

to move, and God will always bless a people that

involve themselves in missions. In our hand -me

-down series continuing, I want to go with this

thought until all have heard. Until all have

heard. And you say, well, Pastor, that's impossible.

Well, I don't think so because the Scripture

gives us instruction to do that. So in light

of last week's message of pass the gospel, please,

today being reminded of the purpose and the plan

and the mission of the heart of God to begin

with. Matthew 24 and verse 14 reads thus, and

thus this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached

in all the world for a witness unto all nations

and then shall the end come. Amen. I think there

is a and then coming our way because there is

an endeavor to declare the name of Jesus and

the gospel. of Jesus Christ around this world.

I met with a friend of mine a couple of weeks

ago. He's from Singapore. I mean, he's just all

over the world doing all types of missions. And

he was in Cambodia, and he was talking with some

pastors there about where they needed to get

involved and what group or what tribe or what

village, where do we need to take the gospel

to in Cambodia. And he said, well, they've all

heard. We've covered all of Cambodia. The gospel

has been preached. where all the people in every

tribe, they have been able and have access to

the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, I don't know

about you, but that will stop and make you scratch

your head just a little bit. Every area, every

region has heard the opportunity. The gospel

has been proclaimed in that region. People know

it, and they are sharing it. And if you wanted

to check one off, there's a nation to check off.

The gospel has been proclaimed. And I know that's

not the only nation in the world where the gospel

has been proclaimed. And everyone has had an

opportunity. Every nation, it's been presented.

The gospel has come around them. It is possible,

church, because you do realize that the Hopewell

Church of God and the Church of God at large

is not the only church in the world proclaiming

the name of Jesus Christ. You do realize that,

don't you? Everybody under the name of Jesus

Christ, that blood -stained banner that there

is only one way to heaven. They're going into

the world, hallelujah. going to places that we

haven't thought of to go yet, but yet they've

already been. There's a time coming when the

fulfillment of the gospel mandate to be declared

into every nation. I have to kick the devil just

right about between the eyes. I've had about

all I can take this morning already. So let me

just go ahead and serve him notice. Let me just

serve you notice, devil. You better get off of

me this morning because I don't have time for

you today. I'm not going to take time for you.

Just join me with rebuking him today. You do

know the Bible declares resist the devil and

he will flee from you. And we do so through the

power of the name of Jesus Christ. and the enabling

of the Holy Ghost that's on us and in us. Amen.

He just knows how to push my buttons. So we think

about proclaiming this gospel around the world.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached

in all the world for a witness unto all nations.

And then shall the end come. The mission of the

mandate to preach the gospel, it is the great

commission. And you do know that that is what

we are to be about. You do realize that's why

you have been called out of the darkness of sin

that you were dying in. You've been plucked up

out of that because of the work of Christ at

Calvary. because of your dependence and acceptance

of him as Lord and Savior and the confession

of your sin and his blood purging you of your

sin. You do realize that that mandate falls on

you, not just me. It's not just on me. It's as

you are going. It's every one of us. As you go

about your daily living, you are to tell them

about Jesus Christ. You are to tell people that

they need him and their need of him is provided

because of the Father's heart and concern toward

them. Your and my responsibility. It's not just

the preacher. Amen. We've all been commissioned.

You have been commissioned. The disciples were

commissioned and they went out. If you remember,

Jesus sent them out two by two and there were

70, not just 12. He sent 70 of them out two by

two. He gave them authority and he gave them

power. And as they went about, they cast out

devils. Hallelujah. Amen. They laid hands on

the sick and the sick recovered and they preached

the gospel of the kingdom. And repentance was

made. And people accepted the gospel of the kingdom

and the goodness. Amen. Oh, that's what John

said. He said, I've come to preach that you repent,

and repentance is required of all men, right?

And now we understand that the gospel is, in

fact, the good news, that God loved this old

world. That is the purpose, and that was the

mission, that God loved this world. You do realize

that when he created it all the way back in Genesis,

after every act of creation, he declared of himself,

it is good. Are you hearing me? It is good. God

saw and was pleased with the creation. He was

pleased with the creation of humanity. The thing

that disappointed the heart of God was what man

disobeyed. The one commandment in sin entered

in. And God's heart has been hurting and longing

ever since. Amen. He tried every way. He tried

the possibility of a law. He tried that blood

from a goat and a lamb would be the covering

of their sin. Realized and knew from the foundation

of the world. Before he ever said let there be.

Even in the beginning of the thought process

of humanity. God knew that his son would have

to come. He knew that the Christ would have to

be sent. But he made effort. He tried. He gave

man opportunity. But I'm here to tell you. It's

hard for you and I to take the opportunity extended

to us. And not go beyond the boundaries that

are set for us. And God knew there had to be

a transformation. of the sinful heart of humanity.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only

begotten son that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish but should have everlasting

life. That was the purpose of the Christ. That's

the purpose of the good news of the gospel is

that you and I can have everlasting life with

him in heaven, hallelujah. John 14, Jesus said

it so lovingly. Let not your hearts be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in me. For in

my Father's house are many mansions, and I'm

going to prepare a place for you that if I go,

surely I'm going to come again and receive you

unto myself in the way you know. We don't know

the way. What are you talking about? I told you

back earlier, I am the way. I am the truth. I

am the life. No man cometh unto the Father but

by me, Jesus declared. So you know the way because

I am the way. Let not your heart be troubled.

As we've talked and discussed in the weeks past

and prior to today, we've talked about the chaos

of our world and the crisis that our world is

in. It's not just the world that's in crisis,

but I'm here to tell you the church is in crisis.

When you begin to look at some of the foolishness

that is out there, some of the foolishness that

is going on in the name of God. in the name of

his son. I'm telling you, it is ridiculous at

what man can do that he thinks he has to perform

in order to get others and entertain others.

Look, this is not about entertainment. It's about

eternity. Amen. It's not about you being pleased

and comfortable when you go into the house of

the Lord. It's that your heart be at peace with

God. Amen. Not that you're comfortable and the

preacher don't say something to stir you up and

to make you you mad or I don't know if I can

accept that. If it's in the binding of the book,

you better learn to accept it and bend your will

to it because it is the very article by which

we all will stand and be judged. You will be

judged by thus saith the Lord. You and I will

stand and give an account. But listen, there

is a message that is proclaiming that we do not

have to receive judgment, that we could be justified.

Hallelujah. You don't have to receive judgment

of your sin. You can be pardoned of your sin.

You can be forgiven of your sin and righteousness

be imputed to you. You don't have to die and

go to a devil's hell. That is the message of

the mission. You don't have to go there. Some

people live like they've got no other choice.

Well, I'm not a Calvinist. I don't believe in

selection. I believe in what the book says. The

Bible says, and all that call upon the name of

the Lord shall, where you at book readers? Shall

be saved. I don't know about you, but I call

on him daily. I remember the encounter that I

had in an old -fashioned church altar when the

pastor preached hell hot and heaven sweet and

the conviction of my soul gripped till my knuckles

turned white and I was scared to leave the house

without knowing that my sins were washed away

and I had been purged and cleansed by the blood

that flows from Emmanuel's veins. I remember

the day that peace come in like a river because

the burden of my soul, the songwriter said, rolled

away. The weight of sin was lifted until all

had heard. That is the mandate that you and I

live by. Romans 10, 14, Paul wrote to the church

there and he declared, how then shall they call

on him in whom they have not believed? And how

shall they believe in him of whom they have not

heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they preach except they be sent?

You and I, we are all sent with the message of

the hope of the gospel. We may not all be sent

to this vocation. You may not all feel the call

to be separated to come and declare before them.

as I do, but I'm here to tell you, you have been

called out of darkness as we all have, and you

have responded to the wonderful good news, and

you have received the same commission as I. You

have been sent. Go ye into all the world, and

as you go into all the world, teach and preach

the gospel. Amen. Teaching them, baptizing them.

Tell them everything that I told you. The mission

remains in the forefront of the purpose of God.

That remains God's love for a lost and dying

world. God's love for humanity that is separated

from him because of sin's action. We must remain

focused on the purpose of the heart of God. The

world is still in need of hearing. the gospel

message. Until all have heard, you'd be amazed

at people around you right here in Bradley County

and the greater Cleveland, Tennessee area that

don't know who Jesus is. They don't know who

he is. They may even have a cross hanging around

their neck for decoration. They may even wrap

a Christmas gift or they may even celebrate at

Easter, but they have no clue of why the celebration

exists. And they won't hear until you tell them.

You'd be amazed at your little sphere of friends

and contacts and people you know that really

don't know what you know and understand about

Jesus Christ. They are people living in this

world that think they have to live with the misery

that is presented to them every day without hope,

without a relief, and without any kind of help.

But you and I are walking around with this great

message that declares there is hope, there is

peace, and there is help. Be at peace in this

world without two nickels to rub together and

not knowing where your next meal can come from.

You can still be at peace with God and at rest

in your soul, amen, because you have the hope

of eternity living in you. My God, it's time

we begin to tell one more time the hope of the

world is the gospel, which is the good news that

Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. I know

I'm preaching to the choir today, and that's

quite all right because I have discovered over

30 years of pastoral ministry, sometimes the

choir needs more preaching than everybody else.

We grow comfortable in Zion. We grow at ease.

We're no longer stirred by the compassion of

the heart of God. When we see people, we're no

longer moved or disturbed or care about their

condition. My God, it ought to at least stir

us till we pray if we don't do anything else.

But at least tell them Jesus loves them. That's

what I told the kids the night we met about them

going downtown. I said, look, I'm not asking

you to go present a theological statement. Just

tell people Jesus loves them. Amen? And if they

want to know him as Lord, surely you can lead

them to Jesus. Yes, pastor, we can. Hallelujah.

That's all we need to concern ourselves with

at this moment. Reach out and touch them. Let

them know somebody hadn't forgot them. Let them

know somebody cares. Just tell them Jesus loves

them. I don't care if you can tell them anything

else. You've told them the gospel. Amen. The

culture we need, live in need to know that God

still cares and that God is still on the throne.

The world truly is in still need of hearing because

they haven't heard it all yet. In Acts 17, look

over with me real quick. Another familiar story.

The Apostle Paul's had his grandeur of conversion.

He's been stricken by the light off of his donkey

and fell blind. And a few days later, a scared

disciple laid his hands on him and the scales

fell off his eyes and he receives the baptism

of the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah. And years later,

somewhere around 50 AD, somewhere in here, He's

on his second missionary journey and he's going

through the city of Athens. Verse 16 of chapter

17 begins thusly. Now while Paul waited for them

at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him. My

God, couldn't I just camp right there for a little

bit? Just like I mentioned earlier, when was

the last time your spirit was stirred for them?

Paul's walking around a very wicked city. He's

at a place called Mars Hill. He's at a place

where there's idols. built for every God known

to them and even one that is declared to the

unknown God but they didn't want to be an offense

to anyone that they didn't know or any God that

they knew existed and there was an altar built

and an idol for everyone and Paul's heart was

stirred and look as he goes forward his heart

was stirred because of them when he saw the city

wholly given to idolatry therefore disputed he

in the synagogue with the Jews. He started at

the church house. Hello? He disputed with them

in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout

persons and in the market daily with them that

met with him. Folks kept coming. Can I tell you,

all you got to do is start sharing the good news

and people are going to show up to listen. They

may be controversial at first as they were with

him. But when they begin to open the door, can

I tell you, you got to be ready to put a foot

through the door until all have heard. Paul said,

my Lord, as he stood up with his shoulders back.

He said, let me declare unto you this unknown

God. And he had to dig the dagger a little bit

deeper to whom you worship ignorantly. Paul,

my kind of preacher, lay it out there, preacher.

Just tell them like it is. Y 'all so ignorant

you don't even know who you're worshiping. And

it's him that I want to declare to you today.

My Lord, he squared his shoulders back and began

to preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus

Christ. And he preached the resurrection of Jesus

Christ. Amen. were added and many clung to him

as he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not

everybody's going to hear it. Not everyone will

receive it. Are you listening to me this morning?

But it's not about the everyone. It's the whosoever

will. It's the whosoever will. Don't feel guilty.

Don't feel bad. If all don't accept. If you want

to step out of these young guys that are about

ready to step into the ministry. If you really

want your feelings hurt, you'll get it hurt when

you be together. to put your own feeling out

there. Like the rejection is they're rejecting

you. I had to learn that early in my pastoral

ministry. I preach my guts out, leave a lung

hanging on the end of the altar, and they just

walk out the door careless, callous, without

concern. And you begin to wonder, is it me? Is

it me? Every preacher worthy salt called of God

has had this same conversation. Is it me? What

have I done? Why won't it? And then the Lord

had to get a hold of me one day and wake me up.

He said, there. not rejecting you. By the way,

who do you think you really are in the grand

scheme of it? You're just an instrument, and

he got my attention. It's not you they're denying.

It's not you they're rejecting, but it's me because

you're declaring my word. You're declaring my

gospel. You're declaring my good news. They're

not refusing you. Son, think about eternity.

They're refusing me, and you want to melt in

your tracks. You let the Spirit, you let the

Holy Ghost drop that load on you. you'll feel

about that big in a hurry. So don't take it personal

when you witness to people and they don't accept

your witness. Don't bully your witness. Don't

hound your witness. Don't aggravate people with

the gospel. Family members, how many of you just,

you want them saved? Come on now. And so every

opportunity you get, you lay into them. Now,

where's your hand? Put it back up. Don't do that.

Well, I love them. I know you do. But give the

spirit room to work. You've shared. You've sowed

the seed. Now get on your knees and pray the

water from heaven down. Because what I'm doing

is preaching to you from a former backslidden

condition. Okay? When I was backslid, I lived

there for a few years. And the more they came

at me, the meaner I got. the more determined

I was not to. Hello? You know what will happen

if you quit harping and they come over to the

house for supper and you let a whole meal go

by and not harp? They're going to leave there

going, do you notice anything? No, taters is

good. Do you notice anything? Mama never said

a word about it. Going to church. Wonder what

that's all about. Right there, you've got them,

honey. You've got them. Especially when you kiss

them on the jaw, tell them how much you love

them when they leave and they're going to leave

without. We didn't even get one sermon today.

Did you hear one? We didn't even get preached

to today. Huh. But what happens? You prayed before

they came, and you prayed when they leave. Don't

harp on them. Don't harp on them. Look here.

Look here. They know. How do you know, Pastor?

Because you've been doing it for years. Huh?

I can't believe you don't want me to tell them.

You've told them. Well, the next time might.

No. No. That's not what's going to turn their

heart. The Holy Ghost is going to turn their

heart. All they did was drive me further away.

And they'll leave there scratching their head.

Why? Because you have presented the gospel to

them. You've lived it right in front of them.

You're loving them in spite of their ignorance.

In spite of their stupidity. Now look here. That's

hard to do. But it's the gospel that'll do the

job. Just love them. You've told them. They've

heard you. Now just smile at them and pray. Love

you. That's what got me. They quit. They quit.

I thought, huh. I'll tell you what actually got

me. When I realized I was going to end up being

broke, busted, and disgusted until I got my life

back right and started paying my tithe. God is

my witness. That's what brought me back. I told

Sister Kathy that one day. Just as lost, nobody

preached to me. Nobody had said anything to me

for months about getting back in church. But

you see, somebody was praying. And I know who

she was. And the spirit got a hold of my heart.

He knows how to get them. Let him do his job.

Until all have heard. Preacher proclaimed the

gospel. Paul goes to Mars Hill and he declares

to them this unknown God. He loved you so much

that he sent his son and he died for you. But

not just died, but he rose again. On the third

day he rose, he resurrected. controversial teaching,

controversial doctrine, but there was over 500

witnesses. So how do you deny? Paul, I saw him

out of a day of time. I saw this Lord, I'm declaring

to you. Until all have heard. Until all have

heard that there is a healing for whatever ails

them. Until all have heard there's a peace that

passes all their understanding. Until all have

heard and bent and bowed their knee to the one

and the only one who can redeem them from the

sin that is destroying their life. Until all

have heard. Preach the gospel. Preach the good

news. Go into the places that are unpopular.

Share the good news. And take whoever goes with

you. Take whoever's connected. Because the rejection

and the denial is not you. They deny and reject

the Christ. But our hearts must be stirred. They

must be stirred for places like Morocco. Must

be stirred for the Indian reservations in the

Dakotas and in New Mexico. They must be stirred.

Our hearts must be stirred for the rural places

in which you and I live and the ridges and the

hollers. For the metro cities, the urbanites,

they need to hear the gospel. But there are gospel

agents planted all around this world. There are

ambassadors living all around this world. Hopefully

we can enable some to go further. Hopefully we

can empower some to do more. And hopefully our

hearts are stirred as the Apostle Paul. And our

hearts get stirred for those who are around us

who do not know him. Until they have heard the

purpose and the mission. always remains in the

forefront. But know this, I'm winding down right

here. Know this, you're not dispatched in your

own strength. We have not been sent out of our

own accord. As Jesus gave the 70 authority and

power, power is available for you and I. Remember

the words of the Christ, it is expedient that

I go away. If I do not go away, then the comforter

cannot come. But when I go, greater works than

these that you see me do, you shall do also because

I'm going to the Father and authority and power's

coming back. 24, Luke's gospel, go tear ye in

Jerusalem before the ascension until you be endued

with power from on high. That word power, dunamis,

strength. Ability comes from that Greek word

dunamai, which means to be able. To be able.

One in eight of Acts, Jesus said you will receive

power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon

you. You're going to receive the ability to.

You're going to be able to. You're going to receive

strength too. You're going to have power too.

Power to what? Shout? No, it's not about the

shout. That's just a byproduct. Oh, I'm going

to be able to speak in tongues? Again, that's

just the initial byproduct of the infilling of

the power that's come upon you. Everybody gets

hung up on the very first thing, the initial,

the initial, the initial, the beginning, the

beginning stages, the outward evidence of what

is working on the inside of you. And you shall

receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon

you. And this is what the enablement of that

power is going to do for you. It's going to cause

you to be witnesses of me, unto me. It's going

to cause you to have a boldness. It's going to

cause you to have an ability. It's going to give

you a strength too. That's what the baptism of

the Holy Ghost is all about. It's about the ability

to. To what? Until all have heard, shared the

good news of Jesus Christ. Without the baptism

of the Holy Ghost, Paul wouldn't have been able

to stand. Look at Peter until the Spirit filled

him and overflowed. He was running, denying,

cursing. But the next thing you see after the

Spirit, the dunamis comes upon him and he's made

able to, he stands up. You need to read that

beautiful story. Peter stands up. And the scripture

said that he lifted his voice. He got everybody's

attention. And began to preach to them. This

is that which was prophesied by the prophet Joel

hundreds, centuries before this occurrence. The

prophets said it was coming. This is that. What

do you hear when you're hearing this speech?

They say to them, are these not all Galileans

and how we hear them in our own tongue? Because

they were made able to. Able to what? Speak their

language. Purpose and the power of the Spirit

is to enable you. To able us. To strengthen us.

Amen? To embolden us. How many? You can raise

your hand if you want to, if you're brave enough.

How many of you, you know the Spirit's nudged

your heart to speak to somebody about Jesus and

you just wouldn't do it? How many? You just...

And then when you leave, you're like, oh, you're

crushed. You didn't get a number. You don't know

where they're at. And about three miles down

the road, you're in such misery on the inside

because you disobeyed the Spirit. You want to

turn around and go back and find them. And sometimes

you do, and they're not there. That's why we

need the Spirit. So that we are empowered, emboldened,

and made able to when he speaks to us to say,

hey, do you know Jesus? Don't overcomplicate

this gospel. Stand with me, I'm quitting. Don't

overcomplicate this good news. Like I told the

kids, just go ahead and tell them Jesus loves

them. Well, what if they ask more questions,

pastor? Well, just simply tell them what he's

done for you. That's all they're really concerned

about anyway. You tell him what he's done for

me, that doesn't mean a whole lot. But when you

sit right there and say, well, let me just tell

you what he's done for me. Until I'll have heard.

Well, my story's not that great. Just a second

here. People think, well, I don't have this great

grand testimony. Well, somebody needs to be praising

the Lord. That you haven't been drugged through

the gutter, strung out, redeemed from addiction.

Hello? Because there's some in here that have

been. But hell just as hot for the stubborn hypocrite

as it is for the junkie, for the drunkard, for

the adulterer and the fornicator. It's just as

hot for that good person. Maybe even went to

church all their life. I'm about to rock some

worlds right here. Gone to church, raised in

church, took to church, always went to church,

but never went to an altar. Never bowed a knee,

never repented of their sin. Well, what sin?

Well, let's just start with the original one

because we're all condemned from hit. For all

have sinned and fell short of the glory of God.

But we have the opportunity to come out from

under that. So you just simply tell them what

he's done for you. Father, I love you today.

Until all have heard. Lord, in a congregation

this size this morning, there may be those here

who haven't accepted. Oh, they've heard. They've

heard the message. They've heard the gospel.

But they've never accepted the gospel. They've

never repented of their sins. Invited you into

their heart to be Lord of their life. While heads

are bowed all over this house, our hearts are

to be stirred. I'm of the tradition, I don't,

I think you gotta be living right when Jesus

comes. That's just the way I read the scripture.

I don't think you can go to an altar when you're

five, six, seven years old and you're good for

the rest of your life and live like the devil.

I just don't. Jesus' blood is way too precious

for you to just continue in your sin. Matter

of fact, the Bible says that. Shall we continue

in sin because grace abounds? God forbid. If

you're continuing in sin today, you need to come

and repent. Because Jesus could come at any day,

any moment, any hour. Today could be the day.

How do you know, Pastor? Well, the signs. That

Jesus left us in Luke 21 and Matthew 24. And

even in the book of Daniel and other places.

The signs of the end are appearing. Did you not

see what happened in Nepal and China on the border

of Nepal and China? That rushing wall of rock,

ice, water and mud. My heart was stirred. When

I know. that the people that had overswept probably

did not survive. And my first thought is, well,

not what happened. My first thought was, I wonder

if they knew Jesus. That should be our first

thought and concern. Were they ready to meet

the Lord? See, we're all appointed to die. For

it's appointed unto man once to die and then

to face the judgment. That's the issue here.

It's not the dying. We're all going to do it

eventually. It's going to happen unless the Lord

comes. Father, I love you today. If you're here

and you don't know Jesus Christ and free pardon

of sin, nobody's looking. Just lift your hand

up. I want to pray for you today. I need to know

Jesus, Pastor. Yes. I need to know Jesus, Pastor.

Yes. Any others? Come on. The first sign of getting

help is realizing you need help. I need to know

him. If I die today, I'll not go to heaven, and

I want to. I want to go to heaven. Why no one's

looking? I'm going to step right down here on

the floor. If you raised your hand and you want

to go to heaven. You want to know Jesus Christ,

I want you to come down here. I'm going to lead

you in a prayer. I want to pray with you. I want

to pray with you. Say, Pastor, I'm not living

right, and if the Lord comes today, I may not

make it. Come on, come on. I want to pray with

you. I want to pray with you. Sometimes I'll

just lead a congregational, wide, repentant prayer,

but I think it needs more than that today. You

need Jesus. You need Jesus. Say, Pastor, do I

have to come down there at the front? If you're

going to be serious with God, the front's no

different than where you are. You can accept

the Lord right where you are. You can repent

of your sin right where you stand. But if you

do that, here's what you have to do. After you

pray this prayer that I'm going to pray with

you, you need to tell someone. That you accepted

Jesus Christ today and you need to get me word

of that. I need to know it. That's your first

act. Act of testimony. Then here, not too long

out, when we do our outdoor picnic this fall,

we're going to fill the baptistry up and we're

going to have a baptizing. You can eat chili,

a hot dog, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus

Christ all on the same day. But this is your

first step. Heads bowed church, you pray with

me. It don't hurt us all to live repentant. Jesus,

if you mean this now, you pray it with me. Jesus,

forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me of my unrighteousness.

I believe that you are the Christ. That you were

born. That you died. And you rose again to cleanse

me from my sin. I believe. And you are Lord.

Be Lord of my life. Amen. You say, Pastor, that

seems so simple. The Bible simply says he is

faithful and just to cleanse us of our sin because

we confess our sin. If we confess our sin, he

is faithful and just. To cleanse us of our sin,

forgive us of all unrighteousness. Now what do

I do? You start reading the book of John, the

gospel of John. You get in the book of John and

you start reading. And I don't have to tell you

what sin, you already know what sin is. That's

why you feel guilty when you do it. Don't do

it. Well, what if I do? That little prayer we

just prayed, pray it again. Well, what if I have

to do that 15, 20 times a day? Do it 30. I don't

know any other way than to keep myself under

the blood, cleansed and pure. And his grace will

help you and he'll lead you. Amen. Tell somebody,

come by and tell me, I accepted Christ today.

And we'll celebrate with you. Church, give the

Lord a hand clap of praise, would you? He still

saves. And until all have heard. We'll engage

in the mission. Visitors, when you go out those

doors to my left, there's a little counter there.

There's going to be somebody there waiting on

you just to give you something, just to hand

you something, tell you how much we appreciate

you being in worship with us today. So please

stop by there. We love you. God bless you. Go

in peace. Go in grace. You're dismissed.