What Happens When The Bell Rings

If you have your Bibles with you, and I trust

you do, be turning with me to the book of Joshua,

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. Joshua, chapter 1. I just surrendered

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

my phone with the rest of their phones, and you're

in trouble. Because I can't check the time now.

Periodically, I'd tap it and say, hmm, I got

a five minute. Now, I can't tap it unless I go

down there, and I may. If I feel like I'm going

long. You know how I know when I'm getting too

long? You get quiet. I say, well, they've had

enough. It's not ever probably that I'm finished.

But you're done. And so it ain't no sense in

overloading you. Man, isn't it good to be in

the house of the Lord today? Amen. It's good.

It's a good feeling to be here. The presence

of the Lord is here with us. Yeah, we got a lot

going on today, but that's okay. We just, we

don't do communion as often as a lot of places,

but we're about to do that now. Let's go ahead.

You put your Bible down. The folks that I asked

to help me with communion, I want you to come

and help me. We're going to distribute the elements.

Come on, guys. Our retired ministers and their

spouses. Brother Brian, you and Sister Erica,

I want you all to go up top. Your knees are better.

Just saying. Since you've got to go up step.

We'll use the young knees, guys, and let them

go up top. Amen. You've got a bread. Let me get

this other bread for Sister Sandra. All right.

This is not rocket science. We're going to work

half of the room. Sister Sandra, here's yours.

For the meals, you just get you one of those.

Sister, I want you to help with these. We've

only got three of the bread ones. Go ahead and

get you one. Let me get Brother George one. All

right. I actually hope we do not have enough.

We've prepared for 200, but I don't know. It's

going to be close. I'm going to go ahead and

bless before they begin to distribute. The letters

of the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul addresses

the church at Corinth about their behavior in

communion and how they were mistreating. The

love feast is what they called it. How that some

would just turn into plum debauchery. Some would

have feasts spread out while others had nothing.

And that's not what it's all about. Amen? And

he would tell them to let every man examine themselves.

Amen? We examine ourselves. For what we are about

to partake in is symbolic of the body. and the

blood of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. And

he told the Corinthians that, you know, some

of them are already asleep. They've already passed

because they ushered on a quick and untimely

passing because of the way they treated the body

of Christ. And when always growing up, when I'd

hear pastor share, it would always cause an alarm

to go off in me. And there were times that I

would not take communion because I was scared.

I was afraid. Maybe I've done something. Or I

was convicted because I had and had not repented.

Thus, we have the window for self -examination.

So we'll take a few moments and we examine our

hearts. And if you have messed up before you

take this, you know what you do? You repent.

Do you know what can actually happen before you

take this cup? If you're lost, if you're lost,

you can repent and accept Christ right where

you are. I know over the years our tradition,

we make a spectacle and get down to the mourner's

bench and do all that, and that's good. It's

an outward testimony. It's an outward surrender.

I know all that, but that does not have to take

place. It's right where you're standing from

a submitted, repented heart. And you can repent

right where you stand. And right where you stand.

The advocate, the in -between, the one that goes

on our behalf, right where you stand, will visit

and cleanse and forgive. And then you take the

cup and you rejoice because of his blood that

was shed for the remission of your sin. His body

that was broken for the healing of your body.

My Lord. Let's pray. Bow your head. Father, as

we come today, We thank you for the gift of your

son. Jesus, we thank you for the submission of

your life. Your body for ours. Your blood for

our cleansing. As we distribute these elements,

I pray your blessing upon the cup and upon the

loaf. For we do so in remembrance of you. Now,

Father, if any are here, join me. Father, I repent

today. Of any sin that may be in my heart, my

life. I repent before you this day. Cleanse me

of my sin. Purge me of my unrighteousness. Take

the throne of my heart and life. And be Lord.

I love you and thank you. In Christ's name. Distribute

the elements, please. Take this section right

here. Yeah, just start up through there. Yeah.

As snow. Got you one. Hold on to it. Felt time.

The blood of Jesus can wash away my sins. Nothing

but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole

again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Let's

sing it. Oh, precious is the flow that That makes

me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing

but the blood of Jesus. If you need to be seated,

it's okay. You can. Wash away my sins. Nothing

but the blood. Of Jesus. What can make me whole

again? Nothing. Of Jesus. Now all precious is

the flow that makes me white. Has no, no other

fount I know. Let's do at the cross. At the cross,

at the cross where I first saw the light and

the burdens of my heart rolled away. It was there.

I received my sight and now I am happy all the

day. Oh, at the cross, at the cross where I first

saw the light and the burdens of my heart, they

rolled away. It was there by faith I received

my sight. My sight. And now I am happy. The day.

Have done. Lord, we love you today. At the cross,

at the cross, where I first saw the light and

the burdens of my heart, they rolled away. It

was there by faith I received my sight, and now

I am happy all the day. Let me get one for me.

At the cross, I first saw the light, and the

burdens of mine rolled away. It was there, by

faith, I received my sight, and now I am happy

all the days. Been served? Anybody need to be

served? I got one in my hand right there. Thank

you. I love it that it takes time. There are

occasions where we need to use the little peel

the top cups. There are those occasions when

that's okay. But to take this added time. To

participate. It's special isn't it? One of my.

Among my favorite. I love to dedicate babies.

Amen. That's just. But the. The act. Of preparing

the communion. Is something that. I just like

to do. You can hand it off. I've had teams that

did that, but I was always sad in my heart because

I wasn't over there. You know what I'm saying?

It's special. This morning was special. Pastor

Brian and I, Lulu was here with us this morning

early. And to start training another generation.

They probably don't know how special and what

it meant to me, but that was special this morning.

And to teach and just talk a little bit about

it while we're doing it. Amen. So today we have

the cup. You got the grape juice. It's not fermented.

We're teetotalers around here. Hello. So you

have the cup. We bless the cup. Aren't you grateful

for the work that he's done for you in your life?

How many of you are saved and you know it? Will

you sing it with us? If you're saved and you

know it, say amen. Amen. His body was broken

for you. Snap it if you can. If not, just crunch

it. Take and eat of the bread. Hallelujah. He

bore in his body the stripes of your healing.

Amen. It's been said, it's the meal that heals.

Wouldn't this be a wonderful day? Lord, we thank

you for your body. Lord, I thank you for your

blood that was shed. Every last drop was for

my sin. Take of the cup and drink. Hallelujah.

Lord, we thank you for your blood. Just hold

on to your cup and on your way out this morning,

there's a garbage can at each door. Just drop

it in there on your way out. We thank you for

your blood, Lord. I thank you for the cleansing

of my sin. I thank you, Lord, for you placing

your righteousness upon men within me. For without

it, we'd be undone. Amen, amen. I tell you what,

you can just be seated and I'll... You've been

standing long enough, I'll... I'll just read

my text and you reverence in your heart today.

Amen. God is good. His mercy endures forever.

And we'll baptize here in just a little while.

Amen. What time is it? What time is it? Maybe

I got time. Oh. Okay. I'm going to do my best

to be expedient in what I've got to share with

you. Joshua chapter 1. Beginning at verse 1.

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

Now after the death of Moses, the servant of

the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spake

unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister,

saying, Moses, my servant is dead. Now, therefore,

Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this

people, unto the land which I do give to them,

even to the children of Israel. Every place that

the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that

have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even to

the great river, the river Euphrates. And all

the land of the Hittites and unto the great sea

toward the going down of the sun shall be your

coast. There shall not any man be able to stand

before thee all the days of thy life. As I was

with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not

fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of

good courage. For unto this people shalt thou

divide for an inheritance the land which I swear

unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou

strong and very courageous, that thou mayest

observe to do according to all the law, which

Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from

it to the right hand or to the left, that thou

mayest prosper. Whether so ever thou goest, this

book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth,

but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,

that thou mayest observe to do according to all

that is written therein. For then thou shalt

make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt

have good success. Have not I commanded thee?

Be strong. For a little bit this morning, I want

to speak to you on this thought. What happens

after the bell rings? What happens after the

bell rings? Father, I love you today. I thank

you for your goodness, for your mercy. It endures

forever. Now, Lord, help me this morning. Help

me, help me, Lord, to be expedient. Let me stay

focused on you, your word, and the edifying of

your people. And may we that have ears to hear,

hear what it is the Spirit has to say to us today.

And then may we be obedient and responsive to

that drawing of your presence. To you be praise

forever in Christ's name. The church says amen

and amen. What happens when the bell rings? You

stop to think about the existence that we call

life, and life at its best has its moments of

interruption, right? Those interruptions we call

and sometimes identify as crisis. These times

when everything seems to fall apart. The word

crisis means a point that determines a good or

bad outcome. The Greek rendering for the word

crisis means to separate. The Latin means to

cut away the options. The thing about crisis

is... Once we have been touched by it, we are

never the same. Crisis has an effect on our life,

each one. Every time something arises out of

the ordinary, the extraordinary, and interruptions

happen, whether they be good or bad, it can be

either. You know, we handle the positive crises

better than the negative sometimes. But they

all affect our life. And from the moment the

interruption takes place, from that point forward,

we're never the same. We are impacted. And as

it moves, crisis as it, in different ways, shapes,

forms, and fashions. There are different types.

There's personal crisis, right? We have personal.

These events and things that happen in our life

that we have. some control over, and then we

can sometimes affect the outcome of it. I don't

know about you, but most of the time when I get

my hands on it, I make a bigger mess than just

go ahead and let God do it. But there are those

personal crises, and there are some of those

that we can handle. Amen? The Lord has already

gifted us enough grace that we can manage some

of them. Anybody? Yeah, we don't always have

to hit the prayer closet for everything. Some

things are common sense, right? But I'm learning

more every day that common sense is not so common.

There are developmental crises, things that evolve.

They just develop and then boom, it's on you,

right? These come with an ongoing process. And

by the time you get to the end of it, it's full

blown. And these developmental crises, they happen,

they're going along, and we don't even realize

it's happening until it gets to the climax and

boom. The fuse had been lit a long time. It had

been fizzling and smoke had been rising. You've

seen the old black powder trail that they used

to light to set off an explosion. And it's going

and smoke's rising. It's been smoking for a while

in your life. It's been lit for quite some time,

and you're just waiting on the boom. Those are

developmental. They happen that way. They just

develop out of some crisis we enter into are

spiritual. And remember, not every crisis is

negative. There are spiritual crises that enter

into our life, things that come to a point that

determine a good or bad outcome. Salvation is

a crisis moment, and it determines a great outcome,

not just a good one. Right? Sanctification in

our life works a positive outcome. And it's a

crisis moment. Spirit baptism, when the Holy

Ghost fills you and overflows, that is a crisis

moment because it's a good thing. Right? These

are things that happen when you get healed instantaneously.

The Lord's hand touches you. That's a good crisis

moment. But then there are those negative moments

as well. Spiritually, when the enemy has unleashed

all that he can against you, he's coming in full

force. Amen? So what causes crisis? The one thing,

I call them these stances. You know what a stance

is. It's a position, right? Stance. So you got

the first stance we're looking at this morning

is hell stance. I know I made that word up, but

I made it up in 1998. We're still in the archives.

I hadn't been doing this very long. You say,

well, why didn't you change it? Because it still

sounds good. If it's not a word, it needs to

be. Because hell has a position against you and

I. Hell has a position against you and I. It

has a stance that it takes against you and I.

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary,

the devil, Goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking

whom he may devour. Do you not get it? We don't

get it. The devil has nothing good for you. Wake

up! Hell has a position against us all. Hell

wants you to reside there. The devil has a position

against you. Jesus tells you what that is in

John's gospel. The thief cometh not but to steal,

to kill, and to destroy. But Jesus said, I have

come that you might have life. There's a crisis

for you. I have come that you might have life

and that you might have it more abundantly. So

hell stands against everything. We are in opposition

against every force of darkness. Ephesians 6

and 12 says, For we wrestle not against flesh

and blood, but against principalities, against

powers, against the rulers of the darkness of

this world, against spiritual wickedness and

high places. Do you think you're just going down

the road you're going because you want to? No.

is a conscious decision that we make to accept

or deny God. When you put it like that, well,

yeah, that's the way I'm putting it because that's

the way it is. There's a crisis moment when we

are approached with the gospel. Hell already

has a position against the good news of Jesus

Christ. If you don't have your head in the sand,

Every and most every preacher, unless they're

going by the lectrum and it's not in the alignment

of the day's message, will mention the very fact

of the death of Charlie Kirk. and what that means

as a crisis in the spiritual realm in the United

States of America. As soon as I heard that, my

heart began to weep. I began to mourn. My mind

has been torn over and over and over about this

morning. It's not necessarily as much about Charlie

Kirk as the message of the man who was slain.

He was murdered, amen, right before his family

and thousands of people. Why? his stance for

the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord. And hell

has taken a position. And it ought to be a crisis

interrupted moment for every born again child

of God that is alive and breathing and well.

That now darkness has been emboldened. It has

been enraged. And it's coming out. What are you

saying, preacher? I'm saying you better make

up your mind. You've got to get your mind established.

Because there is a crisis. And what happens after

the bell has rung? It rang at Calvary, but there's

been a tolling of the bell again as a reminder

for the church of the living God. One man slain,

not because of an action, but because of belief

and words and the proclamation that Jesus is

Lord and there's no other. And hell has taken

a position. And hell is unleashed. It's ravaging

force. But I'm here to tell you what happens.

I'm beginning to see take place is the bell is

rung. You know what happens when the bell rings

at a boxing match? It means it's on like Donkey

Kong. WWE has nothing. It begins when the bell

rings and it's not over until the bell. It's

time we begin to wake up. For we wrestle not

against flesh and blood. For though we walk in

the flesh, to the Corinthians Paul said, for

though you walk in the flesh, we do not war.

It is a war. Get your head out of the sand. My

Lord, I'm feeling this this morning. A little

more intently than I thought I would. But there's

something stirring in the... depths of my soul

that has been rolling over since Wednesday and

the crisis that entered into the spirit world.

But you know, the devil is smart, but he's dumb

all at the same time. My Lord, if he'd had more

sense in what he'd done, he has stirred up the

body. He has stirred up a sleeping giant. Somewhere

around a million people, they said yesterday,

in London begin to march. He's not just woke

up the church in the United States, but there's

been a clarion call to the global body. My God

in heaven. There is a crisis that's been unleashed

upon the world. But now, now our eyes are being,

what? What? What happened? The devil did what?

He did what? He did where? To who? And now. Oh,

Lord, we're getting stirred up. Hallelujah. The

body of Christ is being awakened. Somebody needs

to wake up and get your head on straight. Hell

is awaiting if you don't. There is a dark destruction

waiting for your life. There's a devil with a

smirk and a grin on his face. He may have smiled

and laughed when he took his last breath on Wednesday,

but what he didn't realize is there are others

who have taken a very deep breath. I am intent

upon salvation. and the clarion call. Jesus is

coming. Jesus is coming. There's no other way

to the Father but by Jesus Christ. There is no

other way. He is the truth and the life. Hell

has taken its stance against you for though we

walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh

for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

They are not fleshly. but they are mighty through

God. What are our weapons? According to Ephesians,

when you've having done all to stand, stand therefore,

putting on the whole armor of God. Since Wednesday,

I believe in the spirit realm. There's some Christians

looking for their armor. My Lord, it'd be like

me and Sister Kathy getting ready to go play

a softball game. I wouldn't even know where to

start to find the ball glove. I wouldn't even

know where to look. I'd have to go find it. I'd

have to roust it out, and then it'd have to be

oiled up. It's just stiff now. It wouldn't be

pliable. It'd get myself hurt probably. But there's

a lot of Christians this same way. They are now

being awakened. They're saying, where's my armor?

Where's my armor? We got some lukewarm getting

stirred up. Hello, we got some folks that's been

half in and half out about to have to make up

their mind. You've got to make up your mind today.

Are you going to heaven or are you going to hell

with everybody else in a handbag? I am not. going

to hell. I know where my armor's at. I may not

be able to find my ball glove, but I know where

the heaven of my salvation is. I know where the

shield of my faith is. I know where the sword

of the spirit is. I know I got a belt of truth

on and righteousness strapped to my chest and

my shins are protected with the truth of his

word. Yeah, but we got some of them half in,

half out folks saying, uh -oh. This is a crisis.

Well, I might as well just plow on. I'm feeling

pretty good this morning. We got some so -called,

quote, unquote, Christians who are going to hell

with the world. And you say that, I just did.

Let's just go by the book if you want to. Jesus

said they'll come and stand and say, Lord, didn't

we cast out devils in your name? My name's all

powerful. I don't know what you're thinking.

It's my name that did that. Yes, sir. I know

you did that. But let me tell you something.

Depart. Get out from here. You're not welcomed

here. And they're going to be scratching their

heads and say, what do you mean, Lord? I never

knew you. You never cared enough to know me.

You don't pray. You've not been in my word. You're

ashamed of me. You won't even speak up when you

know someone's hurting and dying. You won't even

tell them that I can help them. I don't need

you to help them. You can't help them anyway.

But what I need you to do is tell them about

me. And you wouldn't even tell them about me.

So if you've been ashamed of me in front of them,

there's no way I'm letting you in front of daddy.

There's no way. I'm not presenting you to him.

There's no way. Depart from me. And guess where

they are cast? Into the outer darkness. Gone.

And there are some Christians today thinking,

oh no, will I have to give my life? Honey, you

already should have surrendered your life. It's

not about will I. It's not about if I. It's all

about have you. Because you have to deny your,

hell has a position against you. Now look, look.

The hardest thing to accept. It's this fact.

I'm about to share it with you. The hardest thing

that I have had to accept is that people are

going to hell. Kind of getting a little quiet

there. A few yells and that's right. It's kind

of like, huh? Yeah, people are going. They're

going to hell. But another hard fact that I've

had to accept is that even though I tell people

passionately, you're going to hell without Christ,

they still have the right to go. Now, I know

that doesn't make sense to a lot of us. Who wants

to go and burn forever? The person that don't

want to surrender now. But here's the thing,

you will. You will surrender. Because see, not

only does hell have a position and a stance,

but heaven has one. Yeah, the Lord's got a standard.

And we have to live by it. You've got to live

by it if you want to go. But look, you don't

have to go to heaven. You don't have to go. You

really don't. I mean, you don't have to walk

on streets of gold if you don't want to. I mean,

you can go on to hell. You say, I never heard

a preacher talk like this. You may not. But I'm

telling you, you can. You can go burn with the

devil and his angels and everybody else who won't.

You can. It's your choice. Isn't that hard? But

for those who know the gift of God through Christ

Jesus truly. It just makes no sense to us. You

mean you want to do your fleshly deed just so

you can burn? Does it really mean that much to

you to puke your guts out? Really? Seriously,

you want to shack and do all that stuff? Peas

your flesh? I just read to you, we don't live

by the flesh. We don't war after the flesh. We

live in the flesh. There is a difference. You

can either let your flesh guide you or you can

guide your flesh. Hell has a position. And it

just never ceases to amaze me that people actually

choose to go there. And do you know how difficult

it is to go on to hell? Do you know what you

have to do just to get into hell? You have to

walk over every prayer that's prayed for you.

You have to tread down, tread on, and deny the

blood of Jesus Christ that was poured out for

you. And you have to spurn, reject, turn aside

every ounce of love that he directs towards you

just so you can go there. Well, you can have

it. You can have the part that was reserved for

me. Because I'm not keeping that reservation.

I've done called ahead and canceled mine. Matter

of fact, I wonder. I just wonder if that recording

angel has one of them red phones in heaven to

hail. You know there's only one line. Well. Take

Cliff Waters' name off your roll. We've just

added him to ours. Click. Hang up. What about

your name? Mine's not there anymore. I got to

hurry. I know. But you really got to want to

go to go. has a stance. Then there's happenstance.

Do you realize that sometimes things just happen?

You know, I will say this for him. The devil

doesn't cause everything that happens in our

life. I will give him that much. Amen? You've

heard me say it before. Sometimes the roofing

crew just didn't get the tailgate shut and some

tacks got out. And you're going down the interstate

and you pick one up and your tire goes flat.

That's not the devil. That's the roofer. Right?

That's the roofer. If you're a roofer, pick up

your tax. Don't put them in my driveway. There's

things that happen. There's happenstance. Ecclesiastes

9 -11. The race is not to the swift, nor the

battle to the strong, neither bread to the wise,

nor riches to men of understanding, but time

and chance happeneth to them all. Happenstance.

Things happen. Then there's circumstance. We

all know about circumstance. It takes a position

and is rooted pretty firmly. Job 5, 6, and 8

says, Although affliction cometh not forth of

the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of

the ground. Yet man is born unto trouble. Isn't

that sort of what Jesus reiterated? In this world

you shall have tribulation. But, where you at

Bible readers, what did he say? Be of good cheer,

for I will get happy. Yet man is born unto trouble

as the sparks fly upward. I would seek unto God

and unto God would I commit my cause. Circumstances

dictate a lot of the actions and crisis that

enter our life. Circumstances have helped cause

and create what has happened in this week. I

feel like that... The taking of that man's life

is going to be a demarking point in culture.

I think it has made more of a statement than

any of us actually fully understand. The cat's

out of the bag. The devil is now becoming more

emboldened. And he's going to rear his ugly head.

And you and I must have a faith that is established

firm to be able to withstand the onslaught of

the enemy. Instead of retreating into the shadows

with the message of the glorious gospel of Christ,

you must stand up even taller. You must reaffirm

even at a greater level that no matter what the

enemy says, my faith is secure in Christ. And

in Christ alone. And I will witness to the fact

that he has redeemed me. And is able to redeem

others. There's coming a point where the church

will have to be the church. I think this is even

turning the tide even more than back in the day

when Columbine in Colorado began. And look where

we're at. Look where we're at today. The bell

has rung. It rang 2 ,000 years ago. There was

a ringing at his birth and a great clinging at

his resurrection. It's on. The battle lines were

set. As Christ was led into the wilderness by

the Spirit, and he confronted the enemy there.

The bell is rung. What is our response? What

is your response? How do we respond? Hell stance,

circumstance, happenstance, and then there's

providence. A looking to or preparation for the

future and care and beyond. Guidance from God.

The sovereign God who reigns over it all. We

must be reminded of the declaration over the

church. What is our response? The gates of hell

shall not prevail against the church. Tragic,

senseless, yes. But surprisingly, no. The closer

we get to the return of the Lord, the bolder

the enemy will become. And it may be you and

I to make a stand in the declaration. Jesus is

Lord. There is no other way. Stand with me, I'm

closing. We handle crisis in different ways.

Sometimes we complicate it by overreacting. Sometimes

we formulate new crisis out of the one that has

just arisen and we cause it to grow. Other times

we simply cope with it. But the way we should

respond is with the character of Christ. No matter

what the cause may be. We have to have courage

for crisis living. Joshua is standing firmly

in a crisis moment. The Lord appears to him and

says, Joshua, my servant Moses is dead. Now that's

a crisis for the nation. Their leader who led

them out. Who spoke with God in the cloud and

the tabernacle face to face. He's gone. Now what?

That's a crisis. But notice that God doesn't

forsake us in our crisis moments. He shows up.

Joshua, my servant Moses is dead and I'm the

only one. Who knows where he's at? I've taken

him. I've buried him. Here's what I need you

to do. I need you to be courageous. I need you,

Joshua, to be strong. And here's my commitment

to you, Joshua. Now get this one. As I was with

Moses. So shall I be with you. Now, there's a

lot to unpack there that I don't have time for.

You must remember the position of Joshua when

Moses is on top of the mountain in the thunder

and in the cloud and the finger of God is writing

those commandments. You've got to know where

he was at. He wasn't down with the rest of them.

He went as far up the side of the mountain as

he could go and was permitted to be. He was right

there. That was his position. What's yours? What's

your position? Did this disturb you this week

as it did me? It disturbed me. It really did.

I didn't know the man. I'd watched some of interviews

and things that he did on college campuses and

as he would confront darkness with light, with

love. But direct and firm, you can be direct

and firm and love. I'd do that for you every

week. Direct. Very firm. But I'm doing it in

love. I love you. People have the choice to go

to hell. But to do so, you have to go against

the wishes of your creator. He is not willing

that any should perish. But that all. A -L -L.

You should come to him through repentance. All.

That's his desire. That's the reason he sent

his son. That's the reason he dispatches voices

to proclaim. Father, I love you. As we take our

position today, what will we choose? What will

we choose? What is our choice this morning? Do

I accept the wonderful invitation to come to

know you and free pardon of sin and to allow

you to cleanse me and to forgive me? Or do I

again harden my heart to the good news of the

gospel? What do I do today? What are you going

to do today? If you choose Christ, if you don't

know him this morning, I invite you now. Come

on. Come on. Come on down. Let me pray with you.

Don't refuse him. Don't deny him. I never have

been one of those preachers that can just talk

people into the altar because I'm too matter

of fact. You're just going to have to come. You're

just going to have to make your way. You're going

to have to do like I did. You're going to have

to make a choice. I choose heaven. I choose Christ.

I choose the love of God. Over the world and

over the influence of the world and over the

influence of darkness. Over the influence of

Satan's desire against me. Probably every one

of us in here would confess to this thought.

Because the word says it. The pleasures of sin

are for a short season. Oh, it's fun for a little

while until you have to start paying the price

for sin. And it begins to show up and collect.

You can't defer payment. Sin has its reckoning.

Father, I love you. I thank you so much for your

mercy and your grace. Father, I pray for each

of us in here today. I pray if any don't know

you, that before this day is over, they surrender

their heart and life, confess their sin, and

accept you as Lord and Savior. Touch us now,

Lord, as we follow in the footsteps, and some

and many will come forward to be baptized today.

Watch over and keep the household of faith. Amen.

If you're getting baptized this morning, go ahead

and make preparations and just come on back and

get right here in the front toward the line.

And y 'all just bear with us for a few minutes.

Amen.