The Memorial Of Great Faith

Come quickly. If you have your Bibles, turn with

me to the book of Hebrews, that wonderful 11th

chapter. A place that, as any Bible reader, you

should be familiar with. We're going to see what

the Spirit of the Lord has to say from there

today. So good to see you. Thank you for being

in the house of the Lord this morning. We may

have had a few more with the hamburgers and hot

dogs, but, you know. You're letting me know you're

here for the right reason, not just the hot dog

and the burger. So thank you on this memorial

weekend that you've gotten yourself up and ready

and come to the house of the Lord. Amen. Because

the Lord is going to return. He is coming. Amen.

And wouldn't you hate to be piled up on a Sunday

morning at Bed Springs Church of God. And the

trumpet sound. Huh? That would, I'd hate to be

there. Oh. You know, if he counts church attendance

as faithfulness, my Lord, we're piled up on a

Sunday morning. And then the trumpet sound. Wouldn't

you feel guilty going? Some of you wouldn't.

Deadbeat, no. I wouldn't either if that's where

I was at and the horn sounded and I was ready.

You don't have to be guilty about going. If you

go, if you go, it's intentional. It's not accidental.

Amen? If you feel that sudden quick change and

you're transformed, it won't be accidental. You

won't just barely make it. You've determined

to make it. Amen? And all that just to say thank

you for being here on Memorial Day weekend Sunday

morning. Let's read in chapter 11. Let's start

about verse 32. Again, thank you for being in

the house of the Lord today. If you're visiting

with us, we trust and pray you've already encountered

the Lord through your worship and lifting your

voice and your heart to the Lord. Continue to

remember Brother Matthew Geislinger in your prayers.

but a long road to recovery ahead. I also remember

Brother Dwayne Strickland who is preaching back

in South Carolina today. Let's ask the Lord to

just wind him up, ring him out. Amen. Use him

for his glory. Verse 32 reads in the book of

Hebrews, And what shall I say more for the time

would fail me to tell of Gideon of Barak? of

Samson and Jephthah, of David also and Samuel

and of the prophets, who through faith subdued

kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,

stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence

of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of

weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight,

turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women

received their dead, raised to life again, and

others were tortured, not accepting deliverance

that they might obtain a better resurrection.

And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging.

Yes, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They

were stoned. They were sewn asunder. They were

tempted, were slain with the sword they wandered

about in sheepskins and goatskins. being destitute,

afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not

worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains

and dens and in caves of the earth. And these

all, having obtained a good report through faith,

received not the promise, God having provided

some better thing for us, that they without us

should not be made perfect. The memorial of a

great faith. With the help of the Lord today,

we're going to talk about that. The memorial

of a great faith. Father, we love you. We thank

you for your goodness and your mercy and the

abundance of your love. I ask God now that you

just help us in a mighty way. We'll give you

praise for all things as you just minister to

our hearts through the power of your word. Lord,

let that anointing that causes it. to be easy

to preach. Lord, just let it flow like a river.

Flow through me today. I surrender myself, my

mind, my body, my lips, my speech to be yours.

Lord, help me say what's expedient. Lord, to

the body of Christ, in which would edify them,

but also be pleasing to you. Lord, we'll be quick

to praise you for all things to whom glory belongs.

In Jesus' mighty name. And the church said, amen

and amen. You can be seated. for just a little

while. If the Lord helps us, you'll be out of

here by 12. If he helps me, it'll be 1230. So

I'll let you determine how you're going to pray

for that blessing this morning. Max Licato shared

a little story, a little funny, and I've shared

it with you before, but it's worth repeating.

about a little parakeet by the name of Chippy.

How many of you remember little Chippy? Anybody

remember little Chippy? Who had a very, very

bad day. Chippy's owner had begun to clean his

cage, and she was cleaning his cage with a vacuum

cleaner, and nearing the end of the task, the

phone rings, and she turns away to see... where

the phone is at, and when she does, she moves

the wand of the vacuum cleaner, and it sucks

little Chippy right up. When she turned around

to see and to finish her task, she realized Chippy

was gone, and in a panic, cuts off the vacuum

cleaner, opens it up, gets the bag out, the old

bag kind, you remember though, rips it open,

and sure enough, there's little Chippy in dust.

and all the stuff that's gathered up in the house,

choking, trying to catch his breath. She panics,

still in a panic mode, grabs little Chippy, heads

to the bathroom, turns the water on, sticks little

Chippy under there to wash all the dirt and the

dust and the grime off little Chippy. She didn't

stay long enough to let the water get warm, so

it's cold water, and when she gets him out, she's

got a little towel, the little bird's just doing

his best, so she realizes she needs to dry him

off quick. So she grabs the hair dryer out from

under the sink, plugs it in, puts it on high,

and begins to dry the feathers of little Chippy.

Little Chippy fluffs up. She tells the story

to a neighbor, and a few days later, the neighbor

asks her, says, well, how's Chippy? She said,

well, Chippy don't sing like he used to. Sometimes

when life sucks you up in the vortex and spits

you out, After you've been through the spin cycle,

you don't sing like you used to. Hello? But let

me declare to you this morning, the song that

you sang for offering, Sister Kathy and I was

singing as we was getting ready for church this

morning. There's a light in the window. And a

table spread with splendor. Someone standing

by. An open door. Right. I can see a crystal

river. Lord, I must be here forever. Amen. And

I've never been this homesick before. Right.

I'm homesick. I'm ready to see the Lord because

I've been sucked up, spit out, blow dried, and

nearly grounded. But I am determined that I'm

going to keep my song. Hallelujah. Can I suggest

to you today, don't let the world and the things

of the world and the enemy come against you and

rob you of your song because I've told you before

and I'll repeat it again. This is the worst it's

going to be for you and I. Amen. And we must

leave behind ourselves a great memorial. of faith.

Hey, hallelujah. We read this chapter 11. You

know chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews. It's

a monument. It's left as a monument of faith.

It's a memorial of faith for every one of us

who follow in the footsteps of righteousness.

Amen? As we endeavor to serve God and to love

God and to follow after God. This chapter is

known as the Hall of Faith, and it does stand

as a memorial for you and I because as you begin

to read through there, you say, well, I've been

there, and I've had that, I've experienced that,

and I too have survived as they survived. Their

names are recorded. The deeds of their lives

are recorded so that you and I may know that

we can leave a memorial of faith behind us. Amen?

It's all about serving, loving, and maintaining

and keeping you. Your faith in the face of every

opposition that comes your way. Knowing that

God is faithful. It's in this chapter of 11 that

it's regarded so dearly to the hearts. And it

reminds us of all those who have left their faith

to be a memorial for you and I. And we can understand

if you'll just read the last verse of chapter

10. But we are not of them who draw back unto

perdition or to punishment, but of them that

believe to the saving of the soul. That's who

we are. The author of Hebrews is writing to those

who would be reading after him and after those

who are living life and living faith before them.

He said, we're not of those who turn back to

destruction, but we are those who persevere and

press forward. Amen. Paul would say, I press

toward the mark for the prize of the high calling

of God in Christ Jesus. But he didn't press forward

until he said, but this one thing I do, forgetting

those things which are behind me. Hallelujah.

I forget all of that stuff, but I can't get it

out of my mind because I leave a memorial at

every place that God has brought me and everywhere

that God sustains me and everywhere that God

keeps me. I leave a memorial of my faith as I

walk away. I had a good friend of mine who used

to say, I'm going to light a fire to it and walk

off by the light of it. Hallelujah. That's the

way I am by every obstacle and every opposition

that begins to present itself against my faith.

God is greater and greater is he that's in me

and greater is he that's in you than he that

is in this world. I pray that your faith becomes

a great memorial to those who will come after

you and that you can light a match to it and

walk off by the light of it. Hallelujah. The

devil doesn't have authority. He doesn't have

power. All he has is access. My God. All he's

got is access to you. He don't have power over

you. He doesn't have authority over you. And

he sure can't match the faith that you have in

God. Because he cannot match God. Because again

I declare it. Greater is he that is in you than

he that is in this world. May your faith be a

memorial. Well, I'm about to get wound up. understand

what is at stake with our faith when we understand

that shrinking back pulling back drawing back

puts us in harm's way it puts you in the in the

crosshairs of destruction So we cannot draw back.

We have no other option but to continue to press

forward, and we press forward on in faith, which

brings the preservation of the soul into limelight.

When we begin to understand that if I go back,

there's nothing but destruction, but I know what

lays before me. Paul would pin it this way. I

have not seen and ear has not heard, and neither

has it entered into the heart of man what God

has. has in store for those who love him. Can

I tell you, there's nothing behind you. There's

nothing but sin's dark draw. There's nothing

but sin's destruction and the price that sin

demands of you. For the wages of sin is death,

and after death a man will face the judgment

and he'll hear from God. Depart from me, thou

worker of iniquity, for I have never known you.

But those who persevere in faith and by faith

has the perseverance that... They will have the

preservation of their soul. We don't draw back,

but we only march forward. I may have to drag

my way, but I'm going forward. I may be on all

fours crawling, but every inch of the mile of

the journey is worth it. Because again, I declare

to you, this is the devil's only shot at you.

So maintain your faith. Put up a memorial at

every point of victory in your life. Happy Memorial

Day weekend. So when we look at it, the evidence

of authentic saving faith is what is preserving

us and causing us to continue to press on. Faith

that saves from destruction is a faith that lives

day by day, day by day. You can't believe today

and not tomorrow. Faith must be alive and well

every single moment of your life. You can't say

I'm going to believe at 9 and then I'm going

to take a break and pick it back up at 12. No,

it's a continuance of your faith and your trust

in God Almighty because it is his abundant grace

that causes you to be able to continue to press

on. And it's his grace that causes my faith to

be renewed every day. I think about that grace

to grace. faith to faith and glory to glory.

And I think of it like the manna. For some reason,

I've been thinking about that verse that we talked

a little bit about last week when he said, my

grace is sufficient for you. I've not been able

to get that off of my mind, that in your weakness,

my strength comes and prevails in your life.

And it's new every day. I think about the manna

of the Exodus. Hallelujah. As the children of

Israel are wandering their way, they weren't

wandering, they were being led. Somebody needs

to be led. to understand that this morning. You're

not on a wayward journey. You're not on a happenstance.

The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord,

and you're being taken on a life's journey. And

so if you're being taken on a life's journey,

then there's a live preparation that's being

made for you. There's provision that comes your

way. And I begin to think about that manna that

showed up every single morning. Every day there

was enough for the day's travel. There was enough

for the day's journey. gather for tomorrow unless

it was on Friday and you had to prepare for the

seventh day so that you could rest and keep it

holy hallelujah and then you could gather a double

portion and have enough but there was never left

over if you had too much it would turn to canker

and the worms would be there it would sour and

I'm here to tell you today it works the same

way with grace I get the full measure of God's

abundant grace in my life every single day I

I don't leave none for tomorrow because I have

finally, finally in my journey with God, in the

faith that I have in my salvation, I have finally,

Sister Kathy, begin to understand that I can

go to sleep and know that I've not exhausted

his grace. I've not exhausted his power. And

the memorial of my faith is determined by the

power of his grace as exposed to my life. So

I get up in the morning and I gather grace. Oh,

the live long day. Happy Memorial Weekend. Just

think what everybody's missing. It's not here

today. Hallelujah. I have learned that I will

not exhaust his grace. So I use it. Because I

sure don't want to lose it. And when I lay my

head to finally sleep in the wee hours of the

morning, when I lay my head upon my pillow, I

know that should the Lord cause me to wake and

give me strength to put my feet on the floor,

I simply have to bow and pick up my dose of grace.

Because in the weakness of my flesh and my creativeness.

I know that his divine power and the infinite

wisdom that he has toward us, that he will extend

to me every ounce of strength that I need. I

don't want to hear from nobody telling me, oh,

I can't make it, oh, I can't go on. It's because

you refuse to bend over and bow and pick up your

grace. Honey, if you're too sorry to bend over

and pick it up, I can't help you. But I'm here

to tell you, you can make it if you'll bow a

knee and begin to gather your grace. If you'll

bow your knee and begin to gather your daily

grace early in the morning, you can make it because

there's no devil in hell that can deter you or

defeat you or turn you around. Because if you

can't make it, you make God a liar. I haven't

even got to my points yet. We're still working

on this intro. Yeah, you make God a liar. Because

the way I read the book, he said nothing is coming

against you such as is common to man. In other

words, it may be new to you, but it's not new

to humanity. Hello? In other words, somebody

else has already dealt with it. Some child of

God somewhere in the four corners of this world

has already dealt with whatever it is you're

dealing with. And they've left a memorial of

faith. They've left, they've erected. a memorial

of faith to let you and I know when we come by

that way on our journey and we're experiencing

something in our life that we've never experienced

before. He said, I will not allow or permit more

to come on you than you are able to bear. And

if it gets that way and I see that you may not

be able to bear up, Hear what I'm going to do

for you. I will make a way of escape for you.

Hey! Somebody needs to start looking for your

way out. You go to these dinner theaters, these

escape dinner things, and you go in there and

you try to figure out the clues so that they'll

open the door and let you out. Honey, I'm here

to tell you, whether I can figure it out or not,

I'm going to get out. Hello? You're not going

to keep me in there. If I think I'm locked up

and it starts closing in, I'm coming out anyway.

I just don't like it, you know. I'll make a way

out. That's the way I've determined in my life

and my walk of faith and the journey. I'm going

to get out. And I'm not just going to barely

escape either. I'm not just getting out by the

skin of my teeth. There will be a door open unto

me and there will be a way of escape provided

because the promise of the word of God is that

he would not allow it to squish the life out

of me. I may come out crawling, but it'll be

a wide door that I crawl through. Man, I wish

I had me a fired up organ player this morning.

It would be better than any seventh, any stretch

that you've ever been to in your life. If I had

me a good Hammond organ this morning, you would

think my skin complexity would garken about nine

shades because I could get, I mean, I'm telling

you, I could get soulish this morning if I had

me a good hot organ. I mean, we could preach

it. We could know it that God's going to make

a way of escape for you. Don't tell me you can't.

Don't tell me you're going to give up and turn

around. You can make it. Where is it? Find one

and go read it. Hebrews 11 and 1 defines faith,

doesn't it? Gives you a definition of the faith.

It holds out to the preservation of the soul.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.

The evidence of things not seen. The evidence

of things not seen. I was out just right after

the break of day this morning. It hadn't been

breaking too long. Dogs had to go out. I was

kind of agitated that they didn't just give me

at least 30 more minutes. You know, you know

how we are. But if I had that 30 more minutes,

I wouldn't have got to witness Noah's testimony.

Because right out there at the breaking of the

day this morning. I got out past the trees in

the yard and was standing there watching them

dogs who were just about to bust piddle around.

I mean, she'd been barking for 20 minutes walking

out, and she smells every blade of grass to find

the right one to desecrate. You dog owners, you

with me? Well, I got one of them. It don't matter

if it's 2 o 'clock in the morning or 6 o 'clock.

It's got to be the right blade of grass. I'm

thinking. But I look up. Again, I notice how

cloudy it was. And then I thought to myself,

well, y 'all did well. You did well by rescheduling

your picnic. Look at those clouds. Dark. Rough.

Looked like it could rain any minute. And it

already had been raining, I thought. So it kindly

pleased me, you know. A lot of times you make

those decisions and you go out and it's a bluebird

sky. And you feel about this big. But I felt

good about it this morning. Good decision. We're

going to pick a prettier day and we're going

to still eat a hamburger and a hot dog one of

these days. And then I began to notice something

in those dark clouds. I thought, well, surely

that ain't what I think it is. And the more I

looked, I let my eyes scan the skies and the

clouds. And lo and behold, I saw both ends. of

the prettiest rainbow this morning in the storm

cloud. You ain't going to make me preach all

that, are you? I'm looking at dark, stormy clouds.

And I thought, well, they ain't enough sun to

make a rainbow. So I turned around and looked

back toward the east. And sure enough, the sky

was getting red. And my mind just, I don't know

how you function, but my mind always searches

for Scripture for the first thought. And I look,

and I said, well, red sky in the morning, sailors

take warning. You know, Jesus said you can even

tell the weather, but you can't even, you got

enough sense to get in and out of the rain. But

anyway, that's the water's parallel. Don't look

for book and chapter. And I thought, well, I

guess that's enough. And I turned back to look.

And for about three to four minutes, it kept

getting brighter. And brighter, that beautiful

yellow and the purple. You know what I'm talking

about. It was a beautiful rainbow just arched

across the sky. And I said, Lord, if that's not

a testimony and a memorial, I don't know what

is. Thank you for letting me know that I'm on

the right track this morning because I see the

witness that you're not going to let destruction

come upon us again. Hallelujah. You said you'd

put a bow in the clouds. Most of the time we

don't see a rainbow until the rain is over and

the clouds are moved out. Amen. And there's still

some of the mist or the moisture in the air and

then it just illuminates. But I'm here to tell

you there's a promise. There's a testimony. There's

a memorial in the darkness. the cloud hallelujah

and there is a witness when you begin to look

around at the unforetold and the unseen memorials

that God leaves behind you go outside now you

may search for a month and not see another one

but when you need it the most you may stand and

begin to look at the darkness of the gloominess

of life you may be feeling like chippy your song

is gone and you've done been sucked up and spit

out and puffed up, wind blown, and you're just

doing good to be alive. But hallelujah, when

you lift up your eyes and see the bow that is

placed in the heavens, your mind can't help but

wrap around the memorial that God said there'd

be stormy days, but he said the stormy days wouldn't

take me out. He said, I'll put a bow in the cloud

and it'll always be there. And when you need

it the most, look for the memorial. There's a

memorial of three. wooden pieces with three nails.

It's called the Cross of Calvary, which describes

a memorial that he died for you. And my God,

he's going to keep life flowing in you. Woo!

Substance and evidence. What it declares to us

is that faith doesn't just look back on what

God did. It looks forward to what God plans to

do. Amen. I look at that rainbow and it tells

me it's never going to flood. But I know what

he plans to do. Hello. I look at that bow and

it stands as a memorial. God said it will never

flood the earth again. Oh, we see high waters,

don't we? We've had historic floods. Since they've

been keeping records back up in the mountains

of Tennessee and North Carolina through that

hurricane. Who thinks that a hurricane is going

to do that much damage in the mountains in the

Appalachians? Who thinks that hundreds are going

to lose their lives and homes washed down rivers

and creeks? Amen. Who thinks that's going to

happen? You think you're safe from a hurricane

in the mountains? High water. There's flooding

every spring. Every winter there's flooding.

But it don't surpass the top of Mount Ararat.

He didn't say the water never would get deep

again. He just said it'll never flood the earth

and destroy it. And there's my memorial. So every

time I see in the news floodwaters rising, I

know that they're going to recede. So every time

I hear someone turning in a prayer request of

how heavy life is and how troublesome life is

and what the problems of life are and they don't

see a way out, I can look back and know that

God has made a promise that, hey, it ain't going

to take you out if you don't let it. If you'll

bow and pick up the grace for the day, you're

going to make it. You're going to make it. You're

going to make it. Child of God, you're going

to make it. It may not turn out the way you want

it, the way you desire it, the way you've told

God to do it, but if you'll keep your faith marching

forward and pick up your manifestation of grace

every day, you will make it. We're going to survive

it. A memorial is as simple as this. It's what's

left behind as a witness to those who follow

after. That's... That's about as simple. That's

my definition. That's why it's so simple. It's

what's left behind as a witness to those which

follow after. And if you'll get in this book,

you get in your book. You'll discover memorial

after memorial after memorial after memorial.

It's a witness. There's a witness. That's all

memorials are. I know we live in a woke culture

that's bent so out of shape that ain't got enough

sense to get in out of the rain. That they'll

walk by a memorial and get offended by it but

don't have enough sense to know why it's there.

It serves as a witness. We have our landscape

dotted with memorials that witness ignorance

that had taken place. As warning signs not to

allow ignorance again to overwhelm us. But ignorance

is on a rampage in the United States of America.

Let's cover them up. Let's build walls around

them. Get the crane. Let's take it up and put

it on the back lot somewhere. Let's remove it.

Why? Well, it's offensive. My God, it's supposed

to be offensive so that we do not repeat the

steps of ignorance toward one another. That's

why they're there. You should be offended. I'll

really get stuck. The memorials that we've read

about this morning, I love the reason I chose

this text was because David and some of the other

great characters of the Bible are just honorable

mentions. Do you know what I'm saying? They're

all in one little verse. Some of the others got

three or four verses. Abraham gets a little bit

of... Credit there. Gets a little bit of descriptive

going on. But David just got an honorable mention.

Gideon. You know Gideon. The dude with the light

and the picture and the trumpet in his hand.

Him. Gideon. Just moved right on. Barely gets

a comma. Just gets you to hesitate. Oh, that

was Gideon. As an honorable mention. But you

know what? The memorials of Gideon remain in

my mind. When Gideon told the angel, the Lord

said, look, I am the least of the least of the

least. I'm a nobody. But then the introduction

is, Gideon, you mighty man of valor, what you

doing here threshing wheat at the wine press?

Huh? You're in the wrong place, son, doing the

wrong job. Why are you here? He knew why he was

there. He knew why he was there, and he knows

why you are where you are, right? But see, we

have to stop these self -identifiers. Everybody

wants to identify themselves. You need to get

over that and be identified and receive the identification

that God has given you. Amen? You know, that

new creature who you are, not that old thing

that he found in the ditch and in the gutter

somewhere and pulled out and renewed and restored

and refreshed and saved by his marvelous grace.

That's who you are. We need to take and recall

again the identifiers of who we are. are able

to stand and face the opposition. If you're going

to live for Christ, you're going to face opposition.

1 Peter 4 and 12, Apostle Peter writes it this

way, Beloved, think it not strange concerning

the fiery trial which is to try you as though

something happened to you. But rejoice as you

are partakers of Christ's suffering. That's 13a.

Don't think it's strange because you're finding

a little hardship in your life. Don't start letting

the devil convince you that God's forsaken you

because life's a little hard right now. Got nothing

to do with that. Peter says, but rejoice. Count

it as rejoicing. Be happy that you can suffer

for Christ's sake. No, that ain't where we live,

is it? Uh -uh, no, no, no. It's woe and agony

on me. Right? Despair. If it wasn't for bad luck,

I'd have no luck at all. Amen. How many know

what I just quoted? How many have no clue? Anybody

that doesn't have a clue? Daniel, son, it's your

daddy's fault. It's your daddy's fault. Help

him, Dad. Show him how to Google it. Tell him

what to look for. Put it in the box, and Siri

will tell you. You might be amazed. You won't

be impressed, but you might be amazed. Telling

on us now. A high school graduate that doesn't

know that quote. Our school system is failing.

And I mean, the boy had more rope and tassels

and sashes and medals. Randy said he clinked

like Colonel Clink trying to walk down the aisle.

I bet he don't even know who Colonel Clink is

either. So I wasted three minutes of preaching

time. Educate the boy. Young man, he's not a

boy anymore. Educate the young man. Well, I can't

preach past that. Stand to your feet. I've just

preached myself from under the anointment. I'm

teasing because I've preached over saying a lot

more stuff than that. But I think you've gotten

the gist this morning. What are you going to

leave behind? Don't think it's strange concerning

the trials that are to try your faith. Our faith

has to be tested. It has to be tested. For whose

sake? For yours and for mine. It's for our sake.

I hope and pray that one of these days when they

shovel dirt, if the Lord don't come, when they

shovel dirt in on the box that they put me in,

I hope I'd be worthy to live out a life enough

that they could chisel in the stone memorial

that's before me. And say he practiced what he

preached. It's what I love to be said over me.

Pastor Cliff lived by the code. Of the word that

he declared. He lived by it. That to me would

be a great memorial. That one of these days.

Some of these young people. When they're. Looking

at their grandkids. They can remember a morning

like this. When they had a pastor. That yielded

himself. Enough to. Look like a fool. But yet

preach with passion. Conviction. And they're

reminded of what I said. Not just how I went

about saying it. I pray that there's a memorial

of Pentecost that is left behind. Today is Ascension

Sunday also. What a great memorial. When you

walk around the landscape. Of Israel. They have

a little place up there. But it's not nearly

as celebrated as other places around. Kindly

unkept when I was there in 2000. I thought, huh,

this is where it really happened. But there's

a memorial there if you want to go find it. This

is where he ascended. Wow. What a memorial. The

Mount of Transfiguration. It's about the same.

The same place where they wanted to build three

temples. I wonder do we have the faith to be

his polycarp in the face of opposition. He stood

as they tried to get him to renounce his faith

in a pile of wood that they're about to set on

fire. And I love this quote. He said, 80 and

6 years I have served Christ, and he has done

me nothing but good. How then could I curse him,

my Lord and Savior? And with that, they lit the

match. And he surrendered his life. Do we have

that? Do we have the wherewithal as those who

stood in the... Roman coliseums as the beasts

were turned upon them. They were left to the

slaughter of the gladiators. Oh, I know it's

Hollywood, but it's real. It was real. Could

we stand in the center of those arenas and not

curse God? I remember in 2000 when I was in Israel,

we went to the amphitheater, the half coliseum

at Caesarea by the Sea. And standing in the middle

of that arena with the various doors around the

bottom, I think they say somewhere around 4 ,000

people could sit there. But in Rome, that coliseum

could seat thousands. And our guide was having

us to close our eyes as we stood in a circle

back to back. He said, now I want you to try

to imagine the roars of lions. And you're standing

here not knowing from which one of these porticos

they're going to come at you. Now I want you

to know it kind of was surreal for me. It really

was. I cried for 11 straight days from the time

my feet touched down in Tel Aviv till we got

out of there. I saw, I can't remember a whole

lot of what I did saw or see because I saw it

through puddles of water. That Coliseum stands

for a lot of things, but it stands for memorial

as well for all of us who follow. Their faith.

Or they did not deny Christ. They stood. Polycarp

stood in the face of flames. You and I most likely,

we're not going to have to do that. You're not

going to have to do that. But when you put it

in comparison of how weak we offer ourselves

as to what we do face. Somebody hurt your little

feelings? I preach too loud? Really? Oh, they

got that music too loud there. I ain't going

back. Well, go find you a church of Christ. They

don't even play it. Hello? They don't? Well,

I like a little. No, you just want what you want.

I'm sorry, I'm very wound tight lately. Whining

so -called Christians don't go very far on my

list. Never have, but they don't even go far

now. Be careful, because I'll just tell you to

go find yourself somewhere else, because I'm

definitely not going to be your cup of tea. You're

here on Memorial Day weekend, so you're probably

the core, and I really, really have to get right

to cause you to leave. There's memorials, the

seven steps of the Via Della Rosa. From the whipping

post. Walk those steps. I've put my feet on these

stones that Christ put his feet on. Surreal.

Knowing that he walked down this way. And I'm

walking. I'm following. We're back to bring this

thing together. A memorial stands as a witness

to all those who follow after. The Via Dolorosa.

Galgotha's Hill. An empty tomb. An upper room.

Hello? And so... Suck it up, buttercup. It may

get right before we get to leave. But there's

grace every morning. And for those of you fortunate

enough to be full of the Holy Ghost, well, there's

even more. You're going to make it. May you leave

behind a memorial of great faith. Don't let them

say of you, well, they were up and down. I mean,

you know, he's on fire one week and just barely

drug in the next week. No, don't let them say

that of you. Leave a great memorial of a great

faith. They trusted God through the thick and

through the thin, through the good and the bad.

They're still able to sing. There's a light in

the window. Father, I love you today. Just stretch

your hands this way. If you need an extra added

touch of grace, just lift your hand. I'm going

to pray over you. If you're lost and going to

a devil's hell, you need to come down here and

let me pray with you. If that's you, I'm giving

you an opportunity to repent and to know Christ

and free pardon of sin today. There's a memorial,

an empty cross and an empty tomb for you. Hallelujah.

You don't have to leave this world in misery

and in sin. You can leave it born again through

the power and the testimony and the witness of

Jesus Christ. Father, over this household of

faith, there are many in this very room right

now sick in body. And if that's you, put a hand

on the shoulder. Put a hand on the shoulder.

There's many here sick in body who need a touch

of your amazing, amazing grace, who need access

to those stripes whereby we are healed. And Lord,

I know that you're able to grant such healing.

Your will be done. We're not going to give up.

We're not going to give out. We're not going

to turn around. I'm not going back. But my faith

is a faith that causes me to press forward. I'm

going forward. I'm looking for my doorway. I'm

looking for my escape because you said you wouldn't

let more on me than I can bear come down on me

without making that way. Your people are looking

for the way out, Lord. Life's tough. The pressure

is on. The enemy's raging. But I know this. You're

on our side. And if God be for us, then who can

be against us? Over the household of faith this

morning, Father God, in the name of the Father.

That lovely name of Jesus. Touch your people.

Strengthen their faith. Lord, if they've been

whining, let them shut it up and let's go on

with you for glory. For glory's sake, Lord, I'm

not going to whine about it. I'm not going to

be down. I'm not going to think it's strange.

I'm not going to think something has gone wrong.

I'm just going to count it and rejoice over it

because you have chosen me worthy and the suffering

that I go through compares to nothing that you've

gone through for me. But because you've gone

through it, I can. also because you will supply

all of my need. We're going to make it. You're

going to make it. Tell your neighbor, you're

going to make it. You're going to make it. You're

going to make it. We're going to get out of this

thing, church. Hallelujah. We're going to make

it. Amen. So leave a great memorial of faith.

Father, I love you. I thank you. Watch over your

people this weekend as we rejoice and we truly

do celebrate the freedom, the freedom that we

enjoy because of the full price that was paid

for it. Men and women of our armed forces have

bled and died, bled and died so that we can still

assemble together in spirit and in truth. They

bled and died for the democracy of this great

nation. And Father, I pray for their blood's

sake, don't let the ignorance of Washington erase

it. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.