It's Time For My Harvest

First of all, we want to, I want to begin with

Sister Sandra. Sister Sandra Jacobs, who leads

our worship. She has a... She probably feels

like a dunkin' yo -yo. Anybody know what I'm

talking about? Anybody know what a dunkin' yo

-yo is? Come on, I'm talking to a few people.

She stepped up and has stepped down and stepped

back up and stepped back down, stepped back up.

Anything that I've asked of her, she's been not

just willing. Stand still. Every time I back,

she won't back up. Step up here in the light.

See, Eric's trying to get your picture and can't

do it for the pulpit. Come on over this way.

She served with faithfulness. Amen? And the only

thing I'm not worried about is worship on Sunday.

Because I knew she had it took care of. Unless

she was on a knee scooter and in a boot or something

like that. Very rarely is she away. And so I

appreciate that. Don't you? Let her know how

much you appreciate her labor among you. Sister

Becky, that's your cue right there. And Sister

Donna, she's right here. Baskets of blessings.

Amen. Here's some fresh cut to go with it. You

got it? You good? Thank you. Let her know again

how much you appreciate her. Oh, wait a minute.

Here. That's the best part right there. You don't

want me to keep that. I was making early morning

text trying to cover my tracks. Of things that

I'd forgotten and just remembered. I'm not normally

the organizer. I just come up with what I want

done. And they make it happen. Any other men

in the house know what I'm talking about? Your

idea, but they make it happen. I learned a long

time ago, you staff towards your weaknesses.

And you can tell I've got a lot of weakness.

Amen. The next folks we want to honor. It's Sister

Robin, Sister Robin Warren, who is our church

administrator and a whole lot more. She also

works as a subcontractor, or actually a general

contractor. Anything I find torn up, she knows

the people to call and gets it fixed, gets it

taken care of. Amen? Come on up with that, Sister

Carrie. I almost forgot Sister Donna had hers

a while ago. And along with her is Brother Randy.

Come on, Brother Randy. They minister together.

Brother Randy teaches Sunday school. That's his

volunteer role. But on Wednesday night, he spreaches.

He may not call it that, but that's what I call

it. He preaches and leads our adult discipleship

on Wednesday night without compensation, I might

add. When I think about it, close to his birthday,

I have the Wednesday night class, and we'll take

up an offering and we'll get him something. But

for some odd reason, I don't think of that every

year. And so their emotions go up and down. I

say, well, Pastor forgot. He did. Because didn't

nobody tell me. My hope well right hand. There's

some things she won't tell me. But as they ministered

for you, it's unto the Lord. It's unto the Lord.

I've had various administrators throughout my

pastoral ministry. None as efficient. None. I've

had some good ones. But none as efficient as

your service. Everything with excellence. From

the first day that I rolled on this campus as

pastor of the Hopewell Church. We met in her

office, and then I got the news of just how bad

it was. And it was bad. And every instruction,

every direction was taken without question. She'd

been doing this a long time before I got here.

Without question. And just follow the directive.

And we begin to see the tide turn. And look,

when you see the tide, she tell you, I'm about

pretty stingy. But you have to when you don't

have anything. Right? But the tide has turned.

And what was a way out is now a way in. Because

of diligence. Not questioning. Never an argument.

Not one resistance. Unless she's told him. But

I have found out she doesn't tell him. She doesn't.

What's in the office stays at the office. That

is a trait that you can't hardly find. So, where's

the bell? Sister Carrie's got your basket. There's

your card. You can go ahead and give it to her

if you want to. Let Randy hold it. He's big and

strong. Mr. Medium over there. Thank you, Sister

Becky. You followed up. See, I knew I chose you

for a reason. Something that Sister Kathy and

I have discovered over almost three decades in

ministry. When you have a family, you do not

do this alone. Everybody's involved. The children

are involved. And so from the church, we just

have a token, and that's what it is. It's a token,

but to let them know, boys, where you at? Joseph's

here. Samuel, where you at? Come here, buddy.

Haven't they grown? Let me tell you. Tell you

how I know they've grown, especially this one.

For about three or four years, I had to have

them dumb, dumb suckers in my office. And he'd

come by every morning, and we would trade. He'd

rob fireballs off his mama's desk and bring me

three or four fireballs, and we'd swap fireballs

for dumb, dumb suckers. But he's in middle school

now. He's quit stopping by high school next year.

Yeah, so he don't even stop by anymore, just

goes by. I thought, you still eat a sucker, even

though I'm not eating a fireball. Joseph is the

one that keeps dad on his toes. He's the one

we hear the most about on Wednesday. I don't

know if he knows that or not, but he is. And

you don't forget the one that's gone just because

he had to go to college. Right? The quieter one.

Mama's favorite. Sorry, Samuel. I can already

tell. See, you know too, don't you? I guess because

he was the first son of promise. Yeah. Let this

family know how much you appreciate what they

do here. In service to the Lord and in serving

you. Thank you. Thank you so much. I bless you.

Our third. Pastoral couple. I know for a fact

the Lord has sent them our way. Pastor Brian,

you and Sister Erica, come on up. Lights a little

brighter. Now somebody else is going to have

to take your priest. You got it. Y 'all come

over here where it's a little brighter. Light's

a little better right here. We have been blessed

since I've been here to have student ministries

done with excellence. Pastor Brandon, Pastor

Sarah. They're seasoned. Such a time as this.

The Lord brought them back to Hopewell. The call

into the ministry verified. Diligence in serving

the Lord. An ordained minister now. Getting ready

as soon as he's old enough and got enough time

in to get his bishops and to serve at every capacity.

The reason I'm grateful and thankful for the

excellence that they bring is I worry not at

all. If I'm not here. Because I know. The hands

that you're in. When I leave him in charge. Just

for knowing sake. True leaders. Are known by

their servant heart. Not necessarily being out

in the front. From my perspective, true leaders

don't lead from the front. They lead in the middle

of the pack. So they keep the ones in front of

them that are running and they pull along those

who are behind them who are lagging. Where you

got hands on both. If you're just way out in

front, you may not know who's lagging. But if

you're in the middle of it, you know. They're

in the middle of it. Right in the middle. Planning,

organizing, spreadsheeting, anything you need

to know that we've done, you want to chart it

out, Sister Erica's got it. She can show you.

Events from previous years, we did this, we did

this, we did this, we did this. We had this much,

we had this many. And do you know how refreshing

that is? Because I can't remember all that stuff.

And I'm not going to sit in front of a computer

and type it in. She loves it. I know now why

he's as efficient as he is. Hey, he married up

and he married to his weakness. Just like I did.

Starting the first Sunday of October, Pastor

Brian's coming on full time. Full time. So. Keep

on giving. We want to take care of them. Amen.

I appreciate you. The Lord knows. And when I

don't think of it, they've already thought of

it. And already stepped up and prepared it. And

already stepped out and done it. And I just can't

thank you enough. It's the work of the ministry.

If you appreciate them, would you let them know

it? She going to get it anyway. She going to

get it anyway. All right, young 'uns, where you

at? They're not in here? Two of them? Where you

at? Carson, Nealon, come here. Lulu's not in

here? She's in the nursery. There you go. Train

them up right. Yeah, get it real quick if they

got a spare hand. Come on, guys. Nealon, here

you go, buddy. Carson. Spend it however you want

to. Go get you some more earrings. Get whatever

you want. New pocket knife or something. Come

here, baby. Come here, Lulu. I call her Lulu.

That's a Landon. And she indulges me. She's embarrassed.

She indulges Pastor. She knows I love her. So

she indulges me. Here you go, baby. Get you a

new cowboy hat. Amen. Let them know how much

you love them and appreciate them. We love you

guys. Get their picture. I forgot to give you

that. That's the most important. Amen. God is

good. Oh, yeah, your basket. Those would knock

me down. Oh. You see why they do most everything.

I forget it all. I get wound up. Flowers and

baskets and buckets and... Hallelujah. God is

good. And His mercy endures forever. And thankful

and grateful is just a... I don't know how else.

I don't know what else. Other than I know we

would not be the church that we are. Without

those in whom the Lord is assigned here. Amen.

And in January for all of our volunteers. We

have a volunteer banquet. Where we just serve

you. And it's a good evening. Amen. To let you

know how much we appreciate what you do. We've

got ten minutes. The Holy Ghost has spoken. The

spirit has moved. Amen? Lives have been touched.

People have been honored. But we must have some

word. Amen? Woo! Now, how much word really depends

on you. But I do have something the Lord's laid

on my heart. How about I just give you the Pastor

Cliff notes? See how I did that? Forgive it.

I'll just give you the Pastor Cliff notes, not

the whole thing. We do have a meal prepared to

share together in the fellowship hall. Here in

a moment, when I get ready to release everybody,

we want our seasoned saints. To go first. Amen.

So that means hold the chair in back. John's

gospel. You can remain seated. You've been up

and down. Speaking of yo -yo. John's gospel.

In the fourth chapter. It's a very familiar.

Place. Very familiar text. And can be. Applied

in. Many, many, many ways. The application of

the word of God is always according to the need

in which you're in. And the word will apply.

Amen. Isn't that good? The word will apply. And

the word will always get to you when you need

it. The spirit may stir your memory and bring

it to your mind. Or he may run it by you somehow,

some way, but you'll get what you need. In John's

Gospel in the fourth chapter, verse 35 says,

Say ye not, say not ye, there are yet four months,

and then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you,

lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for

they are white already to harvest. And he that

reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit

unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and

he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein

is that saying true. One soweth, another reapeth.

I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed

no labor. Other men labored, and you are entered

into their labors. Lord, we love you. We thank

you for the power of your word. We thank you

for the power of your presence with us this morning.

Help me now for the next few minutes, Lord, just

to encourage us in your word. We go in grace

and peace. That passage we know is relating to

the lost. We know it's in reference to the vast

harvest that is around us. Millions, even billions

lost. Lost without Christ. Without knowing Him.

And the importance... That Jesus is trying to

emphasize is that the harvest is now. You're

not waiting for anything. You don't have to wait.

You don't have to sit back. The harvest is now.

And how it's maybe not even referencing to a

barley field or a corn field or a wheat field.

But his intention is that we see lost humanity.

Another place he says, pray ye therefore the

Lord of the harvest that he'd send laborers in

the harvest. Why? Because laborers are few. And

as we are nearing the, we're nearing the end

of my time and some of us' time even closer,

but I think we're entering into truly the last

days. Truly we're living in the last day. How

long those days will last, I don't know. The

trumpet. that we just heard sung about a little

bit ago, will sound. We don't know the day. We

do not know the hour because how many of you

know if you knew, you wouldn't do anything for

Christ until just before time? Oh, yeah. If we

procrastinate in life, what do you think we would

do with eternity? If we knew the day we were

going to die or the moment the Lord was going

to return, we would put it off. and put it off

right up to the last moment. That's the reason

the Lord didn't give us anything that we can

really confirm and date his return. No man knoweth

the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh,

not the angels in heaven. It's reserved for the

right of the Father. But if we knew, and as we

think about... All that is transpiring around

us this morning, I truly feel as though that

the Bible is just like a picture book, if you

would. You know those, they open up and then

the structures stand up. That's what's happening

before our very eyes. As you look at the world

today, it's just coming alive. The Bible is being

unfolded every day. Prophecies are being fulfilled

every day. The Lord's return could be... Very

near, even today. Jesus said in Matthew 24, 6

and 8, you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars,

nations rise against nations, and all these are

the beginning of sorrows. The end is not yet,

but all of these are the beginning of sorrows.

I think sorrow is upon us. Paul would tell Timothy

in that second letter, third chapter, first verse,

this know also that in the last days, perilous

times shall come. I don't know how it could become

much more perilous in the world than it is now

with just speaking your faith will cost you your

life. Just by being up front and outspoken the

devil becomes so enraged that he deceives others

into taking One's life. Because of their stance

for morality, truth, and righteousness. And that

salvation is in Christ and Christ alone. How

much more perilous does this world have to become?

Our thought today is it's time for my harvest.

It's time. For my harvest. In the midst of these

perilous times, without doubt, these things are

coming to pass. They're coming to full circle

right before our very eyes. And Paul's letter

to Rome in 3 and 11, he says, And that knowing

the time that now it is high time to awake out

of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than

when we believed. For many people out in the

world, for many believers, they are in a condition

of... Being unsure of the will of God. What is

God's will? John 3, 17 tells us, we know 16,

he loved the world and gave his only begotten

son. But 17 declares, for God sent not his son

into the world to condemn the world, but that

the world through him might be saved. Bottom

line, first order of principle is mankind's salvation.

That is the will of God. Why? Because he's not

willing that any should perish, but that all

should come unto repentance. I saw something

the other day that really stirred me well. Somebody

said, well, why would such a loving God send

people to hell? And the answer was from the preacher.

He said, God doesn't send you to hell. You choose

to go there. He sent every way, every means possible

for you not to end up in hell. So if you go,

you choose to go. You choose to be there. He

sent his son into the world, not that it would

be condemned, but that it might find restoration,

that it might find and have redemption. Peter

writes in his second letter, 3 and 9, the Lord

is not slack concerning his promise, as some

men count slackness, but is longsuffering to

usward, not willing that any should perish, that

all should come to repentance. When we get down

to getting the harvest and receiving the harvest

for our life, the first thing you have to do

is change your perspective. There must be a perspective

change in our life. You've got to change the

way. Simply put, from the Latin root, perspective

means to look through or to perceive. And it's

simplest, a point of view. You've got to change

the way you see the world. This is what Jesus

is saying to those. who are around him. Say ye

not ye that it's four months and then the harvest,

but his declaration is this, lift up your eyes.

You've got to change your perspective. We have

a harvest in many different ways. He's talking

about a global harvest. We think about church

harvest. We think about a physical harvest. It's

almost time to start getting in the beans and

they're going to start combining beans. There's

some cornfields already been gone through. Others

will be coming, but there is a harvest also spiritually.

Folks, you need to understand. that you've not

been left out on an island and it is time for

a harvest in your life. There is time for replenishing.

There's time for renewal. There's time for restoration.

And your time is now. But you have to lift up

your eyes. I believe God is ushering us into

a season of a move of his spirit that we've not

encountered in several years. And I feel God

stirring in my heart and in my soul that our

harvest time is now. But our perspective has

to change. You can't look at church the way you've

always looked at church. You've got to get a

different view. You've got to take a different

viewpoint. You've got a different way of seeing

things. You've got to look around you and see

what it is that the Spirit wants you to see.

See what your eyes are being opened to and then

understand the power of the dynamics of God's

grace and the inner workings of the Holy Ghost

to move that people come in and there's just

a drawing and a pulling. They don't know why

they end up down here. They just end up down

here and pouring their hearts out. because they

need God to help them. They need help in a mighty

way. The time is now, and your perspective and

my perspective must change as we go about the

world. We've got to lift up our eyes and look.

What did the psalmist say? Lift up mine eyes,

I will look into the Lord. Where does my help

come from? I'll lift up mine eyes into the hills.

From which cometh my help? My help comes from

the Lord. Somebody needs to hear it this morning.

Your help comes from the Lord. You've got to

change your perspective. Stop looking horizontally.

Stop looking at what's around you. Stop looking

at the dilemma and the problem and all the hell

that's unleashed against you and lift up your

eyes. Jesus said lift up and look. The psalmist

said lift up and look. It's time that we lift

our eyes toward the heavens. Your help will come

from the Lord. You've got to change your perspective.

You've got to change your point of view and know

that with God all things are possible to those

who believe. It's perspective. It's how you see

it, how you determine. Philippians 4, 8 says,

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,

honest, just, pure, lovely, whatsoever things

are, they good report. Right? If there be any

virtue and if there be any praise, think on these

things. You and I both know that we are inundated

through social media and every other media output

with negativity. That's all you get. That's all

you hear. You're flooded with it. Can I tell

you, some of you need to turn that junk off.

I think you need to get away from Fox News or

any other news. I've done away with that mess.

No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm just looking to the

Lord. Like I said before, I don't even really

trust the weather. It wasn't supposed to rain

today. I come out to go to the church this morning,

and it was raining at the house. I said, where

did this come from? Not complaining we need it,

but wasn't expecting it. I like to expect it.

Don't you? That's the reason you don't have to

be caught off guard when Jesus comes. If you're

expecting him, your perspective will be changed.

If you're looking to know that I've got to live

right today, I can't act like that today. I can't

talk like that today. I can't watch that today.

The Lord may just come today. I don't know when

he's coming. Today could be the hour. Oh, Lord,

and we begin to tune. I tune my ear for the trumpet.

Hallelujah. I'm listening for the alarm. Amen.

That there is a quickening coming my way. As

soon as I hear the trumpet, I'm going to hold

on and say, Change me, Lord, real quick in the

moment in that twinkling of that eye. Change

me, Lord, so that I'm ready to go. Let's go.

Your perspective must change. When you look at

the evil that is in this world, don't be inundated

by the evil. Amen. You're in this world. You're

not of this world. What's in you is greater than

he that is in this world. It's the love of God.

It's the love of God that's in you. I'm getting

a little deeper than the cliff notes. Let me

move on. Number two, you have to have a new perspective

of faith. You have to see things all differently.

Then your viewpoint and your faith has to change.

You, me, we, we're going to have to release our

faith to another level to begin to believe God

for bigger things. Because he's a great big God.

And I think some of us are living beneath our

true privilege as children of God. And it's our

faith that must be released in him and our trust

and our confidence in him that will enable us.

You can live this life through him, not without

him. You can live it. Your faith must go to the

next level. When we understand that we're not

looking for something that is lost, God's will

is not lost. We don't try to find God's will.

We simply live God's will. We let the mind of

Christ be in us. We let holiness be a part of

our life, for that is the will of God. The will

of God is that we be the expressed image of his

son to a lost and dying world. That the light

that is in you becomes the hope of humanity.

That the glorious love of Christ is leashed unto

others. And they find it, experience it. because

of the hope that is in you, that we show every

man the hope that resides in us. Romans 12 and

2, and be not conformed to this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind, that

you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect, say it with me, will of God. That's

the will of God, that you separate yourself from

the actions, deeds, works, character of the world.

For it is a reasonable service on our part to

present ourselves as living sacrifices. Totally

surrendered to his great help. So we lift our

eyes. We get new perspectives. It's far past

time that some of you have a new refreshed vision

of what life is. And it is a life through faith.

And trusting faith without works is dead. The

substance. A faith is, it's the evidence of things

not seen. Verse 6, Hebrews 11 chapter, for without

faith it's impossible to please him, but he is

a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word

of God. It's the Word of God that delivers. It's

the preaching and the proclamation of the Word

of God that sets men's hearts free. But how will

they hear without a preacher? And how will they

preach without being sent? Faith cometh by hearing

and hearing by the Word of God. And we now move

from faith to faith as we move from glory to

glory because there's grace to grace to empower

us daily. So after we have a new perspective

of faith, we have to have a new perspective of

the future. And I'm going to close with this.

I believe I've done that in 16 minutes. You have

to have a new perspective of the future. When

you have a new perspective of faith, your new

faith will say greater is he that's in you than

he that is in this world. A fresher and a refreshed

viewpoint of faith declares as Isaiah 54, 17,

no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.

You'll hear Romans 8, 28 in your sleep. All things

work together for good to them that love God

and to them who are the called according to his

purpose. That becomes an indictment against every

bad thing that's happening in your life. When

through faith, you allow the word of God to encourage

your situation. Because you're not facing anything

that someone else hadn't faced. It's just new

to you. It's new to me. I've not been in this

crisis before. Right? This is something new.

This is different. But they're all categorized

under all things. Right? All things work together.

It doesn't say all things are good. It says it

works to the good. All things work together for

good to them that love God, to them who are the

called according to his purposes. There are some

things in our lives that are coming against us

that are not. innately good. Sickness is not

good. Disease isn't good. Poverty isn't good.

Right? Mental anguish is not good. Emotional

distress is not good. Depression's not good.

An oppressed, sad feeling all the time is not

good. That's not good. But faith in Christ And

the power of God's Word brings good from those

things. Doesn't mean that they're going to be

good. Doesn't mean that stuff's good. It's hard.

Right? Those knees rubbing bone to bone, you

trying to get up and do what you got to do, there's

no good in that. But somewhere along the way

through the dilemma that we find ourselves in,

by having trusting faith in God's grace and power,

somewhere there's some good going to come from

it. And may I add to you that the good may not

be to you. The good may actually come out through

you. Perspective, are you hearing me? Perspective,

the good may come through you, not to you. And

then by virtue of it coming through you, it becomes

good for you. My, my, my. I hope our stenographer

got that. All things. Faith increases. So much

so that you know if God be for you, then who

can be against you? So much so to the Thessalonians,

the first letter Paul wrote, 518, in everything

give thanks. In everything. One of those all

things. In everything give thanks. For this is

the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

See, we don't, we don't, there's this thing in

our human nature that says I'm not accepting

that. That can't be God's will. Well, he's led

you to wherever you are. And his sovereignty

in some way or another has permitted and allowed

the situations that are occurring in our life.

Was he not faithful to Job? Can we say God was

unfaithful to Job when he lost everything he

had and all the devastation that happened in

his life? Is it fair to say that God let him

down? No good came, didn't it? Good came. Everything

that he had, he got double back, except for children,

and Sister Job was probably happy. That would

have put her at about 30. She had 10. Job was

blessed. Joseph, did everything that happened

to Joseph, was all that stuff good? Was his brothers

wanting to kill him good, throw him in the pit,

drug him out, sold him to the Ishmaelites, in

slavery, in Egypt of all places? Was all that

good? No, but the outcome was. Are you beginning

to follow me? Change your perspective about where

you are and what you're going through. Again,

it may not be good for you until it comes all

the way through you. All things. 2 Corinthians

12, 9. Faith increases and receives. My grace

is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made

perfect in weakness. I'm about as weak in one

way as I've ever been in my life. In one sense

of this word, I'm about as weak as I've ever

been in that certain area. But you know what

I'm finding every day? The all -sufficiency of

his grace. It's not easy for me to admit that

I'm not doing as well in certain areas as I would

like to. How many of you, you like to? No, we

don't like to admit that stuff. We like to think

we're the woo -hoo. You know? The bag of chips

and the bologna sandwich. And you find out you're

not even the chip in the bag, let alone the whole

bag. You have to trust him for his grace. They're

getting the food ready, so they'll be ready when

we get there. I got time. Faith increased will

give you a new perspective for the future. That

future looks a lot like John's on the Isle of

Patmos. They'd done everything they could to

try to kill the old prophet, the old apostle,

and take him out, but they couldn't. So they

thought, we'll just get him away from town. We'll

put him over on Patmos. But it's there in the

first chapter that John finds himself in the

Spirit on the Lord's day. Oh, you're not going

to make me preach that, are you? ostracized,

attacked, hot pot of oil, and he's still going.

Now he's separated and he's put on an island.

Not a paradise either. It's Patmos. Look it up.

Google it. But it was there in everything that

had come against John that John found himself

in the Spirit. Can I tell you, you've got to

get in the Spirit. Your perspective has got to

change. Get out of the flesh and move into the

Spirit. How do I do that? You get in your Word.

You get on your knees and you pray. You worship

privately. Whether you can carry a tune to bucket

or not, it doesn't matter. You lift your voice.

and you empty your heart with praises unto him,

and you will find that the Spirit finds you,

and you're in the Spirit. Well, hallelujah. And

it doesn't have to be the Lord's day, which is

saying it could be any day. You have to change

your perspective of the future. Remember what

Jeremiah, the Spirit moved on the prophet, and

he said, I know the thoughts that I have concerning

you. They are good and not evil and therefore

an expected end. There's an expected end for

you. It's not this old world. You have to change

your perspective toward the future. And you have

to know that Christ who was crucified is not

on a cross. He's not in a tomb. But he is in

the heavenly throne room with the Father at the

throne to his right hand. It's where he is. You

have to get this perspective. And when you hear

the word declared over your life, greater is

he that's in me than he that is in this world,

then that picture immediately comes to your mind.

The picture that John sees, the portrait of the

Christ when he's in the Spirit on the Lord's

day. He said, I heard a loud voice behind me.

Sounded like trumpets and rushing water. I heard

this behind me. And he said, and I turned to

see the voice. How impressive was the voice.

He said, and I turned to see the voice. And when

I did. Here's what I saw. The declaration before

he turned, the voice is declaring, I am Alpha

and Omega. Woo! The beginning and the end. He

who was and is and is to come. And John says,

I turned to see. And then I beheld him. Said

he had eyes like fire. This white, radiant garment.

Feet shining. Like brass. Hair. As woven wool.

And I saw him. The image that John would paint

later would be one that's standing as a lamb

that was slain. That vesture covered in blood.

John would record that I saw him on a white horse.

He had a sword in his hand. He had this name

on his thigh. And out of his mouth, I'm talking

about changing your perspective. I know all the

evil that's going on in this world. I'm trying

to get you to lift your eyes up above this world.

Just for a moment this morning. Get your eyes

lifted up above this world. Your harvest is on

its way. It's time for your harvest. Because

he is on his way. Before John finishes Revelation.

Revelation 19 · chapter mention

Chapter 19, he says, you can stand, I'm going

to quit with this. John said, and I saw heaven

open. Behold a white horse and he that upon him

was called faithful and true. And in righteousness

he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as

a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns.

And he had a name written that no man knew but

he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture

dipped in the blood. And his name is called the

Word of God. Get this image. And the armies which

were in heaven followed him upon white horses,

clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out

of his mouth goeth a sharp sword. that with it

he should smite the nations, and he shall rule

them with a rod of iron. And he treadeth the

winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty

God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh

a name written, King of kings, Lord of lords.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried

with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that

fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather yourselves

together into the supper of the great God. John

goes on to see the beast and he begins to see

elders that are worshiping. John's perspective

changes. And he's commanded to write so that

all can read and be encouraged. I know this old

world's in bad shape. I know our nation is trembling.

I know that spiritually it's in as bad a shape

as it's ever been. And the divisive rhetoric

that is spewed every day. It's sinking the wedge

in this nation. Whether you see it or not, it

is. Lines are being drawn. Sides are being separated.

And you know what happens next. Without a move

of God. That's when nations begin to... shake

and shudder when they begin to think that they

are unmovable. Even mighty Rome crumbled. And

every empire throughout the ages has fallen.

That's the reason for a nation to be great. It

must be an humble nation. Blessed is the nation

whose God is the Lord. And so if the senseless

murder of one can be the alarm that wakens the

many, let us awaken. Let us stir ourselves up.

Let's wake up. Let's make up our minds. Are you

in or are you out? There's no middle ground.

What did John say as he records the words of

the Lord? I'd rather you be hot or cold for the

lukewarm. But spew now. There's a decision -making

coming time, and the church is embroaching it

now. Are we in or are we out? Father, I love

you today. I'm in. Hopewell Church of God, Lord,

we're in. We're in. Thy will be done in our life.

Have your way, have your will. Use us, Lord,

to be a beacon of light to a lost and dying world.

I thank you for your grace. I thank you for your

help this morning, Lord. Be with your people

today. Lord, bless our fellowship together. As

the church, the body of Christ, we fellowship,

we break bread, we eat a meal, we eat it together.

Thank you for everyone that prepared a meal,

brought a dish. Let your blessings be upon them

as the dish is blessed. As we go in grace, Lord,

we go in peace. We go in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen. God bless you. Thank you so much for being

here today. What a wonderful day. What a wonderful,

wonderful day. Amen. If you're visiting with

us, stop by this booth to my left on your way

out. We have something special for you. If you're

first time here with us today, we want to bless

you and let you know how much we appreciate you.

We want our super seniors to start heading toward

the fellowship hall. And directions will be given

to you down there. We want you to stay and eat.

We've got some good meatloaf, chicken casserole,

and all the good stuff to go with it. God bless

you. Thank you.