Maintaining Our Identity

The utterance of our lips, the pouring out of

our hearts to him. Thank you for entering into

an atmosphere of worship today. There is a sweet

anointing in this house. I know I've said it,

but I hope you're experiencing what I am. My

heart's racing, it's fluttering. It's quivering

all inside. I just feel all gooey like. How many

know what true love feels like? Huh? How many

remember that when she looked at you and you

knew it? You just, fellas, come on. You just

kind of got all buttery on you. Your legs kind

of went limber. That's what I feel when I know

the Lord's looking at me. And that's the way

I feel this morning. I'm just, man. It's worth

it just to come and to be in his house and to

be in his presence. Amen. If you have your Bibles,

be turning with me to the book of Romans. Very

familiar text. We're going to look into chapter

12 for just a moment, 1 and 2. Got a lot to be

praying about this week. Keep Brother Gary Caldwell's

family in prayer. We'll be informing you of the...

and the date of that and the time for that when

the time comes. So remember them and their loss

and grief that the Lord would comfort them. Amen.

Keep Sister Aminalee in your prayers. She's going

to be seeing the Lord too soon probably, but

she's about to meet the Lord. And she's as excited

about seeing the Lord as anybody I've spoken

to. But I tell you one that's running a real

close second, and that's Brother Merle. She's

as excited to see him again and be reunited with

him. I was visiting with her the other day. She

said, I can't wait. I'm ready to go to heaven.

I'm ready to see Jesus. Merle's waiting on me.

What a hope we have. What a hope we have. What

hope we possess. Amen? Amen. Sister Corky has

a procedure this week. Let's remember her for

that. Remember Sister Kathy this morning. She's

having a little rough day today. So just keep

her in your prayers. Keep us in your prayers.

Amen? God is faithful. The Lord is mighty and

strong, isn't he? Amen. And I know there's many

other requests, and we're going to have an opportunity

to pray for them. shortly as well. Those were

just right at the forefront of my mind, and I

wanted to call that to your attention. The book

of Romans, Paul as he writes to the Christians

at Rome, in verse 1 of chapter 12, he says, I

beseech thee, I beseech you, I implore you, I

beg of you, I urge you, therefore, Brethren,

by the mercies of God. Notice we don't do anything

on our own. What we do, we do by the mercies

of God. I like that it's plural there, not just

singular. Mercies. I need more than just mercy.

I need multiple. I need multiplied amounts and

distributions of mercy in my life. By the mercies

of God that you present your bodies a living

sacrifice. Holy, acceptable unto God, which is

your reasonable service. Not beyond reason, not

out of stretch, not expecting too much. It's

just reasonable. And be not conformed to this

world, but be ye transformed by the renewing

of your mind. That you may prove what is that

good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I want to preach to us this morning with the

help of the Lord on a thought. Maintaining our

identity. Maintaining our identity. I'll pray

for you if you pray for me. And we'll just say,

Lord. The pastor has already asked you to help

him stay on the straight and narrow today. And

I join with him in the power of agreement and

prayer. Answer his prayer. That he stays focused

and in line. Let's pray. Father, we love you.

Thank you for your grace and the abundance of

your love. What a sweet, sweet... anointing in

this house today, your presence so near. Lord,

as my heart is quickened this morning, it's racing

today for I know you have to speak to us this

morning. So, Lord, let me be expedient. Lord,

let me be edifying to the body and glorifying

to your name. Lord, that's my chief aim, my chief

goal, that we together, we together, make it

to see you in eternity. So, Lord, help us this

morning. In Christ's lovely name. And the church

said, Amen, Amen. Maintaining your identity.

We've been moving forward from Resurrection Sunday

morning, from Easter Sunday. We've been moving

in a direction. We talked about those Emmaus

Road disciples who were unable to recognize the

Lord, but yet as they talked with Him on their

journey, When he prayed and broke bread with

them, recognition fell on them. And then they

realized that as they were going in the way,

their hearts just began to warm and burn within

them. Last week we talked about how to live right

side up in an upside down world. And they go

together. And I think this morning kindly just

ties in with what we're discussing and what we

have been in as the Spirit of the Lord has been

dealing with us the past few weeks. maintaining

our identity. We are living in very critical

times. Amen? Prophetically, who knows exactly

where we are? I know there's a lot of speculations

and a lot of our quote -unquote prophecy experts

are trying to align us and let us know where

we are. I do know one thing that we are living

in the last days. I know that. And I know the

signs of the times are upon us and the Lord's

return could be any day. Amen. We are living

in the warning of Paul and what he wrote to the

church in that second letter to Timothy in chapter

3 in verse 14. He says, But continue thou in

the things which thou hast learned and hast been

assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned

them. and that from a child thou hast known the

holy scriptures, which are able to make thee

wise unto salvation through faith, which is in

Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration

of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof,

and correction, for instruction in righteousness,

that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly

furnished unto all good works. I charge thee,

therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus. Christ,

whom shall judge the quick and the dead at his

appearing and his kingdom. Preach the word. Hello?

Preach the word. Be instant in season, out of

season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering

and doctrine for the time will come. Here, catch

on to this. For the time will come when they

will not endure sound doctrine but after their

own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers

having itching ears and they shall shall turn

away their ears from the truth and shall be turned

unto fables. He's talking to the church. He's

talking about people who were the body of Christ.

He's not talking about the world. They're already

lost. They're already deceived and confused.

He's talking to the church. He's telling, preacher,

you've got to preach the word, whether they like

it, whether they don't. You've got to preach

it. We think that instant end season means when

you're prepared or when you're not prepared.

No, that's not what the instruction there is.

means when it's popular and when it's not very

popular, you preach the Word. It's the Word of

God that's going to sustain the life of every

child of God. And then he began to tell him why

he had to preach the Word. You've been taught

the Word. You've understood the Word since you

were a child. The Holy Scriptures are given.

I want you to know that they're not given and

written just simply by man's will and whim, but

they are inspired divinely by the Holy Ghost

who moved upon men of old. and they penned the

word in the heart of God. Forty -some -odd authors

over 1 ,500 years span one central theme, one

central message. God is God, and Jesus is his

son, and the Spirit is his power. Follow him,

love him, obey him, and everything's going to

work out good for you. But there's a day coming

when they're going to turn away from the truth.

There's a day coming when they're going to heap

to themselves. They're going to bring folk. in

because their ears are tingling, they're itching.

Don't you know that mankind has always wanted

to do it his way? Don't you know that we've always

wanted to live it out that way? Why do you think

people make so many excuses for poor and bad

behavior? Because we want to do it our way. But

Paul said, you instruct them and you let them

know, I know the day's coming. God knows the

day's coming. But when that day arrives, make

sure you're preaching the truth. Make sure you're

delivering. the gospel of the truth of the word

of the living God. Those words so that young

preachers send warning concerning his not own

too far distant future, but the future in which

you and I are living. The present day where we

are. What about our day? We're living right smack

dab in the middle of it. I saw an article the

other day that made me sick to the pit of my

stomach. There was this so -called, I won't even

call it a, but quote unquote, a bishop in the

UCC church. that come out and said the Bible

is becoming problematic and we need a third testament.

Come on, somebody. No, no, no. The reason the

Bible is problematic is because it's contrary

to your lifestyle. And I'll not go into the lifestyle

of the one on whom that quote came from. You

can look it up yourself and see what was said

and see who said it and see why they said it.

We don't need a third testament. We need a bowing

to the ones that we have. the instruction of

the old and the direction of the new. Amen. The

blood of Christ was shed. There is no other foundation.

There is no other standard. There is any man

who builds on any other foundation is the same

as a thief and a liar and a robber, for there

is no other foundation other than that of Jesus

Christ. So whatever you're watching on TikTok

and all this other garbage, be careful of what

doctrine and theology you allow in your mind.

Woo! Why? Because your ear may be itching and

you're looking for someone to tickle so that

you can live the way you want to live. My Lord,

that was worth the $2 you put in. Hey! Is the

society we live in. Worthy of such a warning?

I'd say so. I think society is worthy. Why? Because

whether they understand it, whether they like

it or not, all of us are created in the image

and the likeness of God. So therefore, I believe

that humanity is worthy of the warning. Why?

Because what's that central theme? You see it

under athletes' eyes, John 3, 16. You see it

in their black stuff -only face. You see it,

for God so loved the world that he gave his only

begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish but have everlasting life.

It's not about you. It's not about me. It's all

about him. Hallelujah. And don't think for a

moment that he's not a jealous God, for he is

a jealous God. That's the reason he has it. Thou

shalt have no... other God before me. No graven

image. I am God and God alone. And look, the

sooner we learn that and understand that in his

creative power and work he created mankind with

a body, with a soul, and with a spirit in his

likeness and in his image so that that image

may be transformed into the image of his only

begotten son. Well, hallelujah. Yeah, they're

worthy. Times are critical and crucial. To know

that God is with us. That his promise is to never

leave and to never forsake. Humanity is worthy

of that warning. The world and all its trouble

needs revival. The world and all of its chaos,

and you've heard this quoted before, a world

in crisis needs a church in revival. A world

in crisis needs a church that is in revival.

This letter was penned to the church at Rome.

The letter that Paul wrote to Timothy was for

him to share with his congregation and to share

it to every church in town and around town and

around Asia Minor. Let the letter go out. Let

it be read in their hearing. Amen. That the time

is coming when they're going to have itching

ears and they're going to want somebody to come

and appease their flesh because that's how we're

thrown away. It feels good. I'm telling you today

that there's some things about serving the Lord

that is as what he wrote to the Romans. It is

a sacrifice that you have to make. I beseech

you, therefore, brethren. I beg you, I implore

you that you present yourselves as a living sacrifice.

Come on, my Lord. You can't keep living the way

you want to live, doing what you want to do,

going where you want to go, watching what you

want to watch, listening to the music that makes

you want to hop, skip, and jump. What it should

do is if you're listening and edifying your body,

it should do as the music you've heard in your

ears today. When I hear it, it drives me low.

It don't pick me up because when I think about

the holiness of God and I understand how I am

and the condition that I am in, I am too. With

Isaiah, woe is me. It drives me low. The world

needs a church in revival. And that can happen

every day. It doesn't just have to happen on

a calendar. Thank God for revival meetings. Amen?

We need them. Let me know what revival means.

Let me give you that definition. Because there's

some preaching that can happen right here. I'm

going to try not to get hung up on it, but it'll

preach. Revival, according to Webster. It's a

restoration to vigor or activity. Listen to this.

A stirring up of religious faith among those

who have been indifferent. Now, before you can

go much further with your definition of revival,

you need to know what indifferent means to see

if you're one of them. Indifferent. By definition.

Having or showing no partiality, bias, neutral.

Having or showing no interest, no concern or

feeling or unmoved. Oh, then we go back. Now

we know who needs revival. The indifferent usually

happens by fervent evangelistic preaching. My,

my, my. I wonder what our modern day 2026 definition

of revival would be. I guarantee. that the woke

culture would avoid the indifferent because they

don't see themselves as indifferent. They see

themselves ignited, connected once every five

or six weeks. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. No,

no. Oh, no. Oh, well. Now, see, some of y 'all

did not pray and take me serious a while ago.

When I ask you to pray, Lord, help pastor, stay

on track. As he has asked you to help him, thinking

that in the power of agreement, I wouldn't go

on a tangent. Are you indifferent? Well, I'm

here, ain't I? Are you? I tell you, I wish you

could feel what I'm feeling. I better get off

the definition. That's who needs revival. Now,

so all of a sudden, we've gone from the world

in crisis needing revival to a church having

lost its identity, a group of people who need

it. It's the religious who have grown indifferent.

And they need a stirring, and usually that stirring

comes by an evangelistic style of preaching.

My God, that's right in my wheelhouse. I want

us to know we've got to stir ourselves to the

passion and the love of God. The church, you

can only revive something that has been alive.

ever get through this introduction, we're going

to have ourselves a time. The world's in crisis

shape, but even worse than that, the hope of

the world, the church is in a crisis condition.

We are losing our identity. That's the character

and physical makeup. For description. That's

identity. Now, there's all kinds of churches.

And I'm not saying we're the only one that's

right. Who am I to say that? Huh? That's not

my place. I don't care what the name is on the

sign. If the man behind the stadium and in the

podium. is proclaiming Jesus Christ crucified.

And it's going to take his blood and your repentance

to get you to heaven. Honey, I'm all for him.

Or her. Whoever's doing the preaching. If it's

Christ -centered, it really doesn't matter about

the name. But we're losing the identity of being

a Christ -centered We are in danger of you losing

our characteristics and our makeup. And don't

get me on the Pentecostal bunch where if I'm

going to put both feet down and grind my heels,

it's on us for losing our identity and distinctives

as a spirit -filled people. Maintaining our identity.

There's some things that we must clarify. There

are things that will clarify our identity. Number

one, first knowing who and what we are. You ever

seen people confused, well, I just don't know

who I am. Well, what's your name? Let's start

there. I don't know whether you realize it or

not, but your name is the beginning of the shaping

of your identity. Hello? Case in point. A pastor

friend of mine, they even visit here sometimes,

his daughter, Bailey and Logan. Logan used to

work for Pastor Brian when he was at FedEx. They've

got a little boy. Just like one of my young.

So we go down to the hospital. They bring him

in. We get to hold him. What's his name? Well,

we don't know yet. Well, it says here Bob on

the little tag on the thing they roll them in,

you know. But didn't have my glasses on. I didn't

see the little periods before and after the O,

B -O -B. It stood for baby of boy of Bailey.

That's Bailey's boy. They hadn't named him yet.

So, the boy's Bob. I don't care what they named

him. It's Bob. I think his name's Bennett. And

they called him Benny. I said, no, that boy's

Bob. You should have wrote it on the paper, honey.

He'll always be Bob the pastor. If I live to

the boy's 20, Bob, come here. That's the identity

that was put on the boy. I told her, I said,

if I can remember it, I'll call him Benny Bob,

but it's Bob. He hollers at me sometimes when

he's up talking. You hear one, hey, that's Bob.

Or Ray Ray if he's here. I get an amen section

up top. It's part of your identity. Your name

begins your identity. That's how it's all started.

From the moment you leave the hospital, that's

what everybody identifies you by. It's the beginning

of your character. So you've got to know who

you are. And mainly you must know what you are.

If left alone, unchallenged. The world will redefine

the identity of the church. There's so much pressure

being put on the church. There's so much weight

being placed upon the church. You're so intolerant.

No, it's not about being intolerant. It's about

being righteous and holy and upright before a

holy, righteous God. It has nothing to do with

intolerance. Amen? I have compassion on all people.

Why? Because Christ died for everyone. Does that

mean I go along with their sin? Absolutely not.

Don't be offended if I don't affirm your sin.

I will affirm you, but not your sin. I will affirm

that God loves you, Christ died for you, and

desires for you to be in heaven with him if you

follow the plan. Don't call me a hate monger

when I tell you you're dying and going to a devil's

hell if you do not change. It has nothing to

do with hate. I'm telling you that because I

love you and desire that you not go there. But

if you don't turn and your mind be transformed

with this renewing of the mind of Christ, that's

where you will end up. And I tried. I said, don't

tell them they're going to hell again this week.

I've had to tell you that three straight weeks

in a row. And I was going to try my best to avoid

that. And there I have told you, if you don't

repent and turn from your wicked ways, you are

going to a devil's hell. I tried. There'll be

a re -identification of the church if we allow

it. Love speech is being transformed into what

they identify as hate speech. Oh, I hate you

because I'm trying to tell you truth with a broken

heart, with a humble spirit, trying to look you

in the eye and say, if your life doesn't align

with the word of the living God, you are not

going to heaven. All roads, all rivers don't

merge and go to heaven. There's one. You swim

upstream of the crimson flow that flows from

Emmanuel's veins. That is the only way there.

Hebrews 11, 24. Listen to this. Talking about

identity. By faith, Moses, when he was come to

years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's

daughters. When Moses had enough sense to realize

and figure out who and what he was. He said,

no. Nope. The princess is not my mother. Yoshabed's

my mama. Huh? I'm a Hebrew. And he would find

out even more than who he is. The deliverer of

God's people. And the whole long, the enemy thought

I can get him and then we'll stamp. A new identity

on him. We'll give him a different name and nobody

will know. But mama knew. You can give him eye

shadow and shave his head and call him whatever.

But that's my boy. And his name is Moses. God's

deliverer. And God aligned me with you so that

I could raise him and put it in him. When he

got old enough to understand, he refused. Somebody

in here needs to get a backbone and refuse the

identity of what's being tried to be placed on

you. John 1 and 12 says, But as many as received

him, to them gave he power to become the sons

of God, even to them that believe on his name.

That's who you are. Romans 8 and 14, For as many

as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the

sons of God. 1 John 3 and 1, Behold, what manner

of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that

we should be called the sons of God. Therefore

the world knoweth us not. That's why they have

such a problem with you. Because it knew him

not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. And

it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but

we know that. When he shall appear, we shall

be like him. For we shall see him as he is. 1

Peter 1 and 18, for as much as you know that

you were not redeemed with corruptible things.

Somebody needs to know that today. You've not

been saved by your own power. You've not been

saved by your own strength. You've not been saved

by your own humility or anything else. You have

been saved by His grace. As silver and gold are

from your vain conversation received by tradition

from your fathers, but with the precious blood

of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without

spot. We've got to know our identity. You've

got to know who you are. Thank God we're not

what we used to be or who we used to be. We used

to sing that old song, there's a new name written

down in glory. And it's mine. Oh, yes, it's mine.

Right? My sin's all forgiven. You know how it

goes. A new name. You are who you are by his

grace, by his abundant love and his mercy. Secondly,

you have to face identity crisis. Know who you

are in it all. A crisis, a period of anxiety

or confusion about the nature, aims, or role

of a group, organization, or business. Seems

to be we're on shaky ground. Especially if you'll

pay attention to the media. You do know that

social media thrives on about 98 .7 % of all

things negative. Huh? Why? Because you're not

going to scroll through the truth. You want him

to hardly check up for a Bible verse. Some of

them. Get both thumbs. Get it on out of there.

Get it on up. Roll that thing through. Preach,

preacher. Don't go where you're going. It's myself

talking to myself in these moments of pause and

silence. Thought I'd let you know. Just get back

to your notes. Preach what the Lord gave you.

Stay out of your own head and out of their lives.

But I think that's why I've been put here. Many

are confused concerning God's Word. They're confused

concerning the harvest. They're confused concerning

the coming of the Lord. There's an all -out attack

on the Word of God. Let me just tell you, every

translation that comes down the pike that makes

it easier for you to read isn't always the best

thing for you. Do a little research on the book

that you hold in your hand and see what's getting

left out. A lot of the important stuff gets left

out in those easy -to -read versions. It might

do you good to have to chew on the bone a little

while. Well, I just can't understand it. Well,

dig into it and get the understanding. I got

the one I use when I read from. when I was raised

on, I know it's not perfect. It's not. But it's

closer than a lot of this stuff they're spitting

out these days. And yes, I have to read it and

stop and get some insight on it too. But it causes

me to pause, to dig a little deeper. To get the

understanding of, to pray over it. There's a

novel idea to actually pray when you read the

Bible. Holy Ghost, help me have understanding

today. You know how I've learned to read the

scripture over the years? I'll read it and if

I don't just get a hold of it and I don't get

this pull to get in there to find out all that

it has to say. I stop at the part that does.

How many of you have read a particular verse

20 times and then one day the light come on?

That's what I do. I pray that the light comes

on. I get me some tools. I get me a concordance.

I get me a Bible dictionary, which is now under

your thumb. They're there. And then when you

read some of the defining statements, you say,

oh, that's what that means. Well, I'm glad I

stayed here a little while. Attack on the word.

Society proclaims there is no absolute truth.

The culture in which you and I live in proclaim

this subjective truth. Truth is subjective to

the one who desires, and whatever they desire,

that becomes truth. Honey, that ain't the way

it goes. Well, how so? You can subjectively in

your mind say fire will not blister your finger.

Well, that's my truth. Well, let me have your

arm for just a minute. Matter of fact, if you'll

give me 15 seconds of your undivided attention,

I'll show you absolute truth that fire burns.

Any takers in the room? 15 seconds. You'll probably

be done in about three. You'll say, oh, it is.

Nothing subjective. Well, that ain't what it

means. Well, if it don't cover it all, then what's

it for? Well, it's what I want to believe. Well,

there's an absolute in this world. Jeremiah 23,

29 declares it like this. It's not my word like

as a fire. There you go. Saith the Lord, and

like a hammer that breaketh the rock into pieces.

Amos 8 and 11 says, Behold, the days come, saith

the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the

land. Not a famine of bread nor a thirst for

water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.

Matthew 24, 35 declares heaven and earth will

pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Isaiah 48, the grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God shall stand forever.

Our identity must be in what the word... Declares

over us, about us, and to us. That's your identity.

That is the absolute of truth. Jesus, the way,

the and the. There you go. He is truth. So there

is that absolute. Paul walked into Athens and

beheld all the great. Structures of the Acropolis.

He walked up the Appian Way to Rome. He saw the

Forum. Today those buildings are all gone. All

that may remain are just a few columns of ruin.

But the word that he proclaimed on Mars Hill,

still alive and well. Right? Still alive and

well. Skeptics, critics, liberal interpreters,

atheists, they've all come, they'll all go, but

the Word of God still remains influencing and

even changing lives. It's a two -edged sword,

according to Hebrews 4 and 12, divides us under,

even to the marrow of the bone. You know, that's

the center mass of your being, the marrow of

the bone. It goes beyond the density of the bone.

It lives inside. The bone and it's life. Why

do you think there are such great searches during

cancer treatments for a compatible bone marrow?

It's life. The word of God is life. A hammer,

Jeremiah 23 and 29, breaks the resistance of

a flint heart. It's a mirror in James 1, 23 and

25. Reflects the true picture of a man. You can't

read that Word of God and not see what your reflection

is in it, whether it be marred or perfect. It

becomes a reflector. The fire of Jeremiah, the

Word of God burning pure and refining. A lamp

to the psalmist to illuminate his steps day in

and day out. It's filled with wonder. It's filled

with power. The book of God has the power to

change and transform our lives. That's the reason

Paul mentioned the Scripture. It's as the Scripture

has said. It has the power to pick drunkards

up out of gutters, amen, turn them into preachers.

Aren't those wonderful, powerful testimonies?

It has the power to make saints out of infidels.

It has power to restore the brokenness of life.

Broken homes, broken relationships, broken marriages

can all be put back together by the word of God

and having faith in God. Well, I won't never.

Well, move on. It has the power to give hope

to humanity. Hope is a powerful. Powerful force.

Hope, I'm going to skip. Hope is a powerful force.

The Word of God provides for you the promise

of the forgiveness of sin, promise of salvation,

promise of eternal life, the promise of heaven

as a sweet home, the promise of the return of

the Son of the living God who is the Redeemer

of our soul, and the promise of hope. Isaiah

55 and 11 says, So shall my word be that goeth

forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto

me void, but it shall accomplish that which I

please. It's not what you and I please. It's

what he pleases. And it shall prosper in the

thing whereunto I sent it. Stand with me. I'm

going to quit. I'm not finished, but I am done.

We must maintain our identity. It doesn't matter

to me what the church sign says as long as it's

in alignment with the word of God. I figure there's

greater battles to fight than with the church

down the road. Fair enough? Now, if they're not

preaching Christ crucified, then we've got a

problem. I'm not just saying anything goes. You

heard me clarify. If they're preaching Christ

crucified from the word of God. Jesus, when the

disciples, you remember that story, they say,

Lord, they're over preaching in your name. They're

not one of us. As long as they ain't against

us, they're for us. They're preaching me. Someone

once asked Charles Spurgeon if he was prepared

to defend the Word of God, and this was his reply.

I love it. I've told you this before. He said,

defend it. I would have soon tried to defend

a lion. God's Word doesn't need defending. Just

preach it. Let it out of its cage, and it will

defend itself. I just love that. There's a story

told of a... A soldier during World War II on

the South Sea Islands. He had received a Bible

as a present. This native from a missionary gave

him a Bible. He showed it to the soldier there

on the island. He said, oh, oh. We've outgrown

that sort of thing. The native looks at him and

smiles and says, well, you better be glad we

haven't because you'd be suffered this evening.

I'd change your perspective about the power of

the word of God. You better be glad we haven't

outgrown it. You look pretty good with salt and

pepper. John Wesley wrote, I'm a creature of

the day, passing life as an arrow through the

air. I am a spirit coming from God, returning

to God, just hovering over the great gulf. A

few months hence, I am no more seen. I drop into

an unchangeable eternity. I want to know one

thing, the way to heaven. God himself has condescended

to teach the way, talking about Jesus. He has

written it down in a book. Oh, give me that book

at any price. Give me the book of God. That's

our identity, folks. And we cannot be confused

about the nature of the harvest. Our identity

is in our passion toward the lost. We can't be

confused about the promise of the Lord's return.

He's coming. That is the circumference of my

hope, my all in all, is the return of the Lord.

And He's returning for me. Say, isn't he coming

for all of us? Well, I don't know, but I know

he's coming for me. That's how personal this

is with me. That's how determined I am to see

him. Well, how determined, Pastor? Determined

enough to preach it to you so that you can see

him as well. But if you don't, it's on you. It

won't be on me. Well, I've never heard of him.

pastor like that. Well, maybe you should have.

Maybe there's been a little bit too much compromise

from back here. Maybe we think folks get the

point. Maybe we preach it so that we go all the

way around it hoping you're going to get there

but it'd be better just to go straight to it.

If you're lost or backslid on God. You're going

to hell. You don't know the struggle that I have.

I've talked to Pastor Brown about it this week.

Of being that frank and blunt. But I just feel

like time's short. God's time or my time or our

time or your time, I just of a late have just

been so compelled to be just blunt and frank.

Not mincing any words, not trying to beat around

the bush to get you to understand it, but to

just let you know you cannot live any way you

want to. That is not the identity of a child

of God. Holiness and righteousness. It doesn't

mean... Had this little conversation at the office

this morning. It doesn't mean perfection without

mistake. It means mistake with confession. As

long as we're in His flesh, we're going to mess

up. But the book makes provision for your and

my mistake. If a man sin, he has an advocate

with the Father, Christ Jesus the righteous.

And if we confess our sins, he is faithful and

just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

It's about being repentant and turning quickly.

Father, I love you today. I thank you for your

goodness and your mercy. Lord, I thank you for

your help today. Because it could have been a

whole lot more intense. We'll touch and move

this morning. Speak to hearts and minds. Attitudes

matter. Behavior matters. Your behavior is part

of your identity. Folks know whether you realize

it or not. They know. Father, touch hearts today.

Tell you what we're going to do. I'm just giving

us a general call to the altar today for whatever

you may need. If you want to stand in for someone

that's sick, just come on down and let's lift

them up in prayer. If you come within this group

of folks coming and you need to repent from sin,

just repent. Ask the Lord to cleanse you and

forgive you. Let's join together. We're going

to close with a season of prayer in the altar.

Come on. Come on, join me down here.