Participants: Richard O`Ffill
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000558
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01:01 It is always a thrill when men of God
01:05 come together with a purpose of deepening that commitment 01:11 to their heavenly father, 01:13 and to the wonderful responsibility 01:18 and task that He has given. 01:19 I was just saying in the last seminar that though 01:24 as a minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, 01:28 I can be the pastor of all of you, 01:32 that there are something 01:34 that I can never be the pastor of and that is of your home. 01:39 You are the pastor of your family, understand that. 01:44 And you might say but then I am just--I do not preach. 01:49 Who said you had to know. 01:51 It's a responsibility, pastor means shepherd. 01:55 And God has called on man 01:58 to be the spiritual leaders in their homes. 02:02 You've been called to be that and God would never 02:04 asked you to be what He wouldn't enable you to be. 02:08 By the way we live in the last days, 02:11 have you noticed that? Amen. 02:13 Some people have wondered 02:14 what it was gonna be like to live in the last days 02:17 and they've said to me, pastor, 02:19 what it's gonna be like to live in the last days? 02:22 I said, like this. 02:28 I never thought though that God, 02:32 the creator, Lord Jesus Christ would during that week 02:38 will create the heavens and the earth, 02:42 and then on the-- at the last part of the week, 02:46 He would leave two institutions, 02:49 one would be in relationship to Him 02:53 and that would be what? The Sabbath. 02:56 And the other would be in our relationship to each other 02:59 and what would that be? Marriage. 03:02 I would never have thought, that though it was easy, 03:08 relatively easy for the devil to get at the Sabbath 03:12 that he would save until the very last. 03:16 And attract on this the most sacred of all human relationship 03:21 and that would me marriage itself. 03:23 I would never have thought that that day would happen. 03:27 The attack now is on our homes and fellows, 03:30 you know, you have insurance on your car, 03:35 you got insurance on your house, you got health insurance, 03:39 you got your savings with the-- 03:42 whatever it is, the bank insurance, 03:44 but listen brothers, it's time 03:47 that we did something to insure our family 03:53 and we're talking about our hope. 03:56 Everything seems to be collapsing, 03:58 everywhere the culture in which we live. 04:03 It used to be that you could be the black sheep of the family 04:06 and the rest of the society would hold you up. 04:09 But nowadays we're taking the hits 04:12 and we're taking them direct. 04:13 It's time for us not to draw a line in the sand. 04:17 It's time for us to put it down in concrete 04:21 that we will protect out homes against all of these attacks. 04:26 We must do this brother. 04:28 It's incredible how the devil has gotten in amongst us 04:32 and what he's trying to do. And it's up to you, 04:35 I can't do it, but you've got to do it. 04:38 And I appreciate what Jim said, as we go back to our homes, 04:42 let's go back with men who renewed their commitments 04:46 and we will at all cost, we will protect our homes. 04:51 You know getting ready for coming of Jesus 04:55 must have something to do with the family, 04:59 because it says in the last book of the Old Testament, 05:03 the last chapter in the last book of Malachi, 05:06 that just before the great and awful day of the Lord 05:10 that God would send a message and that message would do what? 05:16 It will turn the what? 05:18 Hearts of the fathers to the children 05:20 and the children to the fathers. 05:22 And we could add the husbands to the wives 05:26 and the wives to the husbands. 05:29 Brothers, getting ready for the coming of the Jesus 05:32 is got to be something we do at home. 05:37 But yet, it's incredible, 05:39 as I was sharing in my seminar today 05:41 that it's like the devil has put a steel band around our homes. 05:47 It's as if the gospel works every place. 05:50 It's supposed to work every place, but at home. 05:55 If I were to say after this session tonight, 05:59 we're going to invite those who have a burden for the loss. 06:03 In fact tonight we're going to be praying 06:05 for Osama Bin Laden. And for his family 06:08 and we're gonna pray for the Muslims. 06:11 And we're gonna pray that the Lord 06:12 will work amongst them and bring them to Jesus 06:15 and we invite you to stay. 06:17 And you would feel so good about that. 06:18 You say, oh thank you Brother O'Ffill, 06:20 I think we ought to do that. 06:22 And then I can say shall we include 06:26 your wife in that list? 06:32 Not my wife, not her. 06:35 In fact I just called my lawyer this week about her. 06:40 As if it's incredible to me that when Jesus says, 06:44 love you enemies, that's any enemy, but who? 06:47 Judah, that's any enemy but your brother. 06:52 That's any enemy but your wife. 06:53 You're supposed to forgive everybody, seventy times seventy 06:56 as long as it's not the little lady. 06:59 You're supposed to do good to those 07:01 who abuse you and despitefully use you 07:03 as long as it's not somebody at home. 07:09 You see I get carried away. When you get white hair, 07:11 you get carried away very easily. 07:14 Some of you guys ought to dye you hair white, 07:16 because I've found this 07:17 that when you get white hair you get smarter. 07:20 As a young man on the front door there with dark brown hair, 07:22 have you thought of dying your hair. 07:26 Don't wait till you get to be my age 07:28 to get smart, get smart early. 07:29 Save yourself from trouble. 07:34 Listen brothers, if the gospel of Jesus Christ 07:41 doesn't work at home, it doesn't work notably. 07:47 If you can't be like Jesus at home then don't bother. 07:52 Yeah, the hardest place in the world 07:55 but--am I among friends? You don't mind me talking, 08:00 you know, I'm from what's left to Florida. 08:04 I mean you can expect the guy that's been through 08:05 all these hurricanes to be kind of hysterical against you. 08:09 Man, if you were sitting there hunkered down for 36 hours 08:12 where the wind trying to blow you away, 08:14 you know, you express yourself wouldn't you? 08:18 Hardest place in the world to be a Christian is at home. 08:25 But we've got to get it there, 08:27 because if we can't get it there we ain't Christian notably. 08:31 You know, I've been thinking about this, 08:34 you sure you don't want to dye your hair? 08:36 Don't wait as long as I waited to start thinking big thoughts. 08:40 You know, I want to tell you this, 08:42 if you men aren't thinking these days, 08:44 if you're not thinking for yourself 08:47 somebody else is thinking for you, you know that? 08:50 You don't want that to happen. 08:52 We got to start thinking of what's going on these days, 08:55 because whatever it is, it doing our homes in, 08:58 that's what it's doing. 09:00 But I want to tell you that those who are ready 09:02 for the coming of Jesus are not just people who believe, 09:06 they--it's not what you believeth who you are? 09:11 This is what I've been giving a lot of thinking lately 09:14 to the matter of the fruit of the spirit, 09:19 because you see, if we're gonna spend all of our days 09:22 trying to keep from telling dirty jokes, 09:24 you know, you can wake up and say, 09:25 I'm gonna see if I can go all day 09:27 without telling dirty jokes. 09:30 Reminds me of a story, you must have heard it 09:32 that it happened--that didn't happen over in India. 09:35 A charlatan came in the town and he told the villagers 09:41 that he had a special formula that he would use to turn 09:45 little pebbles into gold. You heard that story? 09:48 And so he got in the middle of town 09:50 and he put the pot out there and he got the brew 09:55 and he put the little stones in there 09:57 and he mixed up the brew and he said the magic words. 10:00 Then he reaches his hands down in there 10:02 and he pulled out these little pieces of gold. 10:05 The people that stood back and said, wow. 10:07 The richest man in town said, 10:09 I want that. He said to the charlatan, 10:12 how much you charge for that? It's not for sale. 10:15 Oh, come on man, I'll pay you a good price. 10:17 I say it's not for sale. And so they start to bid it up. 10:19 Finally, it was a big pile of money. 10:21 And so the old, you know, the magician 10:23 or the charlatan, whoever he was. 10:24 He gives the guy this formula 10:26 as to how to turn stones into gold 10:29 and the guy gives him the money. 10:30 And he gives that he said, man I am gonna be rich man. 10:34 And so the magician, he turns, he starts to walk away 10:37 and he turns he said, oh by the way, 10:40 I forgot to write something down. 10:42 If when you stirring that up, 10:43 if you think of a little red monkey it won't work. 10:54 And that's what the Christian life--listen, listen brothers, 10:57 the Christian life got to be more than just trying, 10:59 you know, not to think of a little red monkey. 11:03 Being a man of God, over in Galatians 5, 11:06 it talks about what the fruit of the spirit is like. 11:10 Fruit of the spirit, it says, "its love, and joy, and peace, 11:13 and longsuffering, and gentleness, and goodness, 11:15 and faith, and meekness, and self control." 11:19 And the first one is love. 11:21 You know I've heard people say, 11:24 you know, all our pastor does 11:26 is he talks about love all the time. 11:29 You know, if that's the bad thing, 11:30 I want to tell you, if your pastor talks about love 11:33 all the time that's the best thing you could have, 11:36 but most of the pastors who were talking about love 11:38 aren't talking about love at all. 11:41 Because the scripture says in 1 Corinthians 13, 11:44 what love is and it says love is longsuffering, 11:48 its kind, it doesn't envy, it's not proud, 11:52 it doesn't do crazy things, it's not selfish, 11:55 it doesn't have a temper 11:57 and it doesn't think evil of people. 11:59 I want to tell you, if your preacher is preaching 12:00 that you are on the right track. 12:04 Because that's what it is to be a man of God 12:07 is to be a man of love that has those qualities 12:10 to be full of the spirit. 12:11 I am convinced that probably the time has come for us 12:16 to not only be addressing the sin issues in our life, 12:19 but I was saying to some of the men, 12:21 those of you who, you know who-- 12:23 what do you call, you fix the site. 12:26 You prepare the site for the building. 12:27 That overcoming sin in you life is to prepare the site 12:30 for the Holy Spirit to dwell. We've got to go on 12:34 and once and as we get victory over sin in our lives, 12:38 then come in right into that prepared site 12:40 is the infilling of the Holy Ghost. 12:43 And I want to tell you that when we get full of the Holy Spirit 12:47 with the fruit of the spirit and with true love, 12:50 it will be impossible to break up your home. 12:53 Impossible to break up. You can't get a divorce. 12:56 You just wouldn't be able to pull it off, 12:59 because we'll be longsuffering, impatient, and Kind. 13:02 You know I'm learning some things. 13:04 I think I want to talk to you, I don't know, get to know you. 13:07 If you get you hair changed, 13:08 get a gray though I think we can talk man to man. 13:12 You know, I've been-- where's he from? 13:14 He's from Florida. Are you from Florida? 13:16 I know I was talking with a friend. 13:18 Anyway, you know I am learning some stuff. 13:21 When you get grey hair you get smart. 13:24 I've been learning some stuff. 13:25 I'd some big crises in my life lately. 13:29 About the time that was going on, 13:30 my mother-in-law was dying. 13:32 I was kind of dying emotionally, 13:34 you know, I was going through some real trouble. 13:37 My wife's mother was dying 13:39 and I was kind of watching myself, 13:41 and you know, I learned something fellows. 13:43 Let me share this with you. 13:44 I learned that when people are going through trouble 13:46 before you can encourage them, you've got to comfort them. 13:52 If you come home and your wife is crying or something 13:55 don't tell her not to cry, comfort her. 14:01 I'm learning that. And I'm still doing my warm-up, 14:04 why do I do this today? 14:06 I come with a sermon here and the sermon just set now. 14:09 I am doing my warm-up, 14:10 I do that all the time, I can't help it. 14:12 Anyway the sermon is coming on just a minute. 14:15 But anyway I learned this fellows, 14:19 learn this from your uncle. 14:22 Don't wait till you get white hair to learn this. 14:27 And that is if your wife comes home and she-- 14:31 or you come home and she say's, 14:32 wipe that stupid look off your face ugly 14:35 and go change your dirty tie. 14:42 I want to tell you what she just said. 14:46 Goes away, if you don't say anything. 14:51 Those of you who are into computers, 14:52 remember it's what you say to your wife 14:57 when she says something to you that hit "save as". 15:02 It's what you say in response 15:05 to someone who puts you down 15:07 that will be the hook from which it had. 15:12 If someone in your family said something to you 15:14 that really arouse you up, what's the smart man do? 15:20 The scripture said it all along a soft answer does what? 15:25 Turns away wrath. The reason we're getting in trouble 15:28 in our marriages fellows is because we're-- 15:31 you know, I've said so many times 15:33 we're not getting an F in graduate work 15:36 of the Christian life, we're getting F in pre-kinder. 15:40 If we just do, just what the scripture says 15:43 we be in much less trouble than we are in. 15:47 Let's just get smart, go dye you hair and get smart. 15:51 Yeah. Remember I don't know if you're married or not. 15:54 I hope you are, yeah. 15:57 You know, being married is a wonderful experience. 16:00 You married a right girl, 16:02 you did a good thing, it's a nice gift. 16:05 And by the way you might say Pastor O'Ffill, I wish I had. 16:11 And you're from Florida, aren't you Pastor O'Ffill? Yeah. 16:14 Well, doesn't Florida have a lemon law? Yeah. 16:17 What's that lemon law? Well, lemon law says, 16:19 you buy a bad car you can take it back after 16:21 you know, if it's really a lemon. 16:23 Pastor O'Ffill, I think I married a lemon. 16:26 I think I need to take her back. I need a new wife. 16:31 You know what I say to man when they say that to me? 16:34 I say you want a new wife son? 16:37 Ask Jesus to give you a new heart, 16:39 and you're getting new wife. See I'll tell you this 16:41 if you men can go back from this convention today 16:45 with the renewed commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. 16:49 If you can go back and invite the fruit of the spirit 16:52 and true love into your life, you gonna get go back there 16:55 and your wife is gonna say 16:56 what's going on up there at academy. 17:00 What's happen to my husband 17:01 because she'll have a new husband 17:02 and when she get's a new husband you get a new wife out there. 17:05 What do you think about that? Yeah. 17:07 Anyway, I am about to ready to start my sermon. 17:12 You know when you go to a big convention like this 17:16 and you go to these seminars all day, 17:18 you hear all this information-- you get information overload, 17:22 you know, I noticed even some fellows, 17:24 when they go to the seminars they're writing like crazy 17:26 because I know they're just trying to impress me. 17:30 Because I know I've done that before 17:32 when I go to seminars, I write like crazy. 17:34 I get at home, I can't read it, have you done that? 17:36 You can't make heads or tails out of it, 17:38 you don't know which way to hold it up. 17:40 But you've impressed by taking notes like crazy. 17:43 But you get information overload, 17:45 you don't even know, you know, so much. 17:48 By the way have you ever heard a really good sermon 17:52 that really gets you excited? 17:54 And you go home and you tell your friends 17:56 who weren't there, you say, you know, 17:58 on Sabbath I think I had the best sermon 18:00 I ever heard in all my life. 18:03 And the person says, I didn't say it was life changing. 18:06 You should have been there, it was marvelous. 18:07 You can just feel the spirit, you should have been there. 18:10 Person say's what was it about? 18:21 I don't remember. 18:24 You've ever done that? 18:26 You know what I thought I do? 18:28 You know what I thought I do here? 18:30 This is been information overload today boy. 18:33 All these seminars and all this preaching, 18:36 wow, man, this is-- I thought I close this thing 18:40 by giving them a sermon that's got just three points, 18:43 just three miserable points. 18:45 Now, if you can't count to three fellows, 18:47 take out piece of paper. 18:52 Because I am gonna tell you what I am gonna do, 18:54 I am gonna give you these sermon with these three points there. 18:58 And it's gonna be about what are we gonna do 19:00 to stand firm in the last days. 19:02 How can--what can we do for our families, 19:04 to protect our families? 19:05 It's gonna have just three point. 19:07 And if I meet you out there at supper at some place, 19:09 I am gonna say, what was point number two? 19:13 If you can't tell me, I am gonna go-- 19:15 I am gonna roll my eye. 19:18 And if your buddy standing by you 19:20 and you say point number two 19:21 then I am gonna turn to your buddy and say, 19:23 what was the last point? Can we do that? 19:27 Or we agree to that? So I am gonna tell you. 19:29 Many times when I preach this sermon 19:31 I call it the Christian home in 21st century. 19:34 What's the Christian home of the 21st century like? 19:37 I am gonna tell you one way, 19:39 one thing is like and that is the Christian home 19:42 of the 21st century is a place of prayer. 19:47 You say, I knew that. That's not big, 19:50 that's not new news, that's old news. 19:53 And it is old news, you knew that when you came 19:56 that our home should be places of prayer. 19:58 Fellows, I am here to tell you that most of our homes 20:01 aren't places of prayer. 20:03 And that's one of the problems we have. 20:05 And if you can't just coming here this weekend, 20:08 if you can go home and you can say, 20:09 Dick, I'm gonna do that, man. 20:11 I'm gonna make my home a place of prayer 20:13 then it would have been worth the trip. 20:16 Now are the Christian home of the 21st century, 20:18 you gonna stand firm, you gonna pray at least 20:21 three occasions in your home. 20:23 The first one would be your private devotion. 20:27 Private devotion means, that it's just you, 20:30 it's just you and Jesus. 20:32 Fellows, I don't know what problems the women 20:35 have in their lives and of course 20:36 I've read about the women in the Bible, 20:38 it has a kind of some hard stuff to say about them, 20:40 you know, what I mean? 20:41 But I know what problems we men have in our lives. 20:46 You know, you've, heard about the war. 20:48 Have you ever heard this expression "paint the target", 20:50 have you heard that one? Paint the target. 20:52 You know, they'll put those whatever it is those beams 20:55 or whatever it is, you know, on the target 20:57 and they send up a rocket to blow it out of the air. 21:00 Listen, fellows, what if you and I 21:03 were just get on our knees in the morning, 21:05 the first thing in the morning 21:07 and give your heart to Jesus then during the day 21:11 we would know when we're being in painted by the devil. 21:15 Because when you are attempted by the devil during the day 21:18 if you have to stop and say, 21:20 "I don't know what I'm-- it too late." 21:24 You've already had it. 21:26 When you get on your knees in the morning. 21:28 Now my mamma taught me to pray at the end of the day. 21:31 I'm thankful for that. 21:33 But the prayer at the end of day is the loser's prayer, Florida. 21:38 The damage is done, man. 21:42 You know, what I mean there, oh, Jesus, what I do man, 21:45 I messed up again. Help me. 21:48 You know, most of us know, 21:51 we know how to call 911 in the Christian life. 21:53 We know how to call A.A.A. what most of us don't need 21:57 or don't know yet as men is the text now unto him 22:00 who is able to keep you from falling. 22:03 And that's why you get it on 22:04 when you start the day with Jesus. 22:07 Because then during the day you know who you are. 22:09 You don't have to say "who am I" the Bible tells us who we are. 22:12 Now are we the sons of God. Does not yet appear 22:16 what we will be but we're gonna be like Him. 22:18 Start this, fellows, if there's anybody here today, 22:21 I hope everybody here in Michigan 22:23 starts the day with prayer. 22:24 But if you don't have the custom 22:27 of getting on your knees in the morning, fellow, 22:29 and giving your heart to Jesus do it tomorrow morning 22:32 make it the first time and see what it does to your life. 22:37 Another time we need to pray in our homes is family worship. 22:42 There is a bunch of pastors here today 22:44 if I was the pastor of a church I wouldn't rest, 22:47 I would make this one of my objectives 22:49 that every family in the church have family worship. 22:54 Now I recognize that we all know this truth, 22:57 but I also think sometimes that there are husbands 23:00 that don't know what family worship looks like. 23:04 It isn't preach time. 23:07 I personally I made the mistake, 23:09 I gave family worship to my wife, 23:11 I was there all the time, 23:12 you know, reading to the little kids 23:15 out to the goo, goo, the little hey honey. 23:16 Come and let's do to ring and ring and all, 23:19 I'll said, oh wow, man, 23:21 I'm sleeping and everything else. 23:23 And I'm ashamed of that, looking back on it now 23:26 when I think of my four little children, 23:27 my wife was doing the worship I was sitting there sleeping. 23:30 She should had me do the welcome 23:32 any announcements and take up the offering. 23:38 At least I've been in on, you know, what I mean. 23:41 And you don't just have to have a little preach. 23:45 I remember I was at a family worship one time 23:48 and it was a sweetest thing you ever saw, 23:50 they had a couple of boys in the family worship 23:52 that night was each one would turn to the next 23:55 and they would say, enough for worship tonight. 23:57 You turn to the person next to you and you tell 24:00 what you like about them. 24:03 You know what sibling usually do? 24:05 They probably turned to each other, want to say, 24:06 what they hate about each other. 24:08 That was sweet, I like that. 24:09 Now you got to be careful with family worship too, 24:12 because you can set the wrong mood. 24:14 You can say listen, junior, sit still and shut up, 24:17 can't you talk, don't you know we're talking to Jesus? 24:20 You want me to slap your face? 24:32 We do that. 24:34 You got to be careful about that. 24:37 I want to tell you, if you don't have family worship, 24:39 you don't know what it looks like, 24:41 I think even in the ABC's books on that. 24:43 Go find out how to do that. 24:44 You find out how to repair your car, don't you? 24:48 You keep your car up, don't you, fellow? 24:50 You keep your computer booted up right, don't you? 24:53 Don't let the devil take your marriage out. 24:57 Don't let him take your family away from. 25:00 Another thing about prayer in the home, 25:02 so we pray--the home is a place of prayer is when? 25:08 Private devotion. When else does we pray? 25:11 It has the family worship. Another time, 25:13 you know, I am a minister, 25:15 I've been a ministers all these years. 25:17 And you know, we ministers are paid to pray, 25:20 did you know that. Ring. Hello. Yes. 25:25 Oh, I'm sorry about that. 25:27 Yes, pastor, would you come over and pray with us. 25:29 Yes, ma'am, I'll be right over. 25:33 We get paid to do that. Ring. Hello. 25:36 In the hospital. Yes, ma'am, ah-ah, go over. 25:39 Yeah, I'll do that. Yes, ma'am, bye, bye. 25:41 That's what we're paid to do that. 25:43 I recognize one day fellows, 25:46 that I was praying with anybody and everybody. 25:49 In fact I was in a place where you said to me. 25:52 Dick, see that tree over there, that plastic tree? 25:54 Yeah. Go over there and pray with that thing. 26:01 I was praying with anybody everybody, 26:03 anything and everything, but there was one person 26:06 I wasn't praying with, guess who? My wife. 26:11 Now, you know, for some funny reason. 26:13 Now, those of us who are here today, 26:15 we're powerful looking men, aren't we? 26:16 You noticed this, when you're going in the marriage 26:19 just look at us there, we're a mean bunch, 26:21 but it's really fragile. We men are very fragile 26:26 in two areas of our lives, and one is spiritual. 26:31 And many of us, fellows, have subcontracted 26:35 the spiritual parts of our families too are what? 26:40 Which mean, that if I want to talk to you 26:43 about the computer, I talk with you. 26:47 If I want to talk about the ball game, I talk with you. 26:51 If I want to talk about the truck, I talk with you. 26:55 But if I want to talk about Jesus, 26:56 I got to talk with little lady, because she got the contract. 27:01 That ought not to be-- listen fellow, 27:03 God has called you to be the spiritual leader 27:06 of your home, don't forget that. And I want you to go home, 27:10 I want to plea with you to go home 27:12 and become the spiritual leader of your home. 27:13 You'll able to say, well, pastor, I feel I can't do that, 27:16 so sue me for breach of contract. 27:18 I got to contract her. Go home and just tear it up. 27:22 Just say I'm going to be the spiritual leader, 27:24 honey, in the home from here on now. 27:26 She'll say, thank you Jesus. That's what she will say. 27:28 But anyway I decided, 27:30 I was praying with anybody and everybody in my life 27:33 except my wife, out loud I mean, 27:37 we were praying before we ate, we were praying in the car, 27:40 we were praying in family worship. 27:41 But just she and I alone we weren't praying, 27:44 I decided that I gonna do that. 27:46 And I want to tell you what a blessing it's been, 27:48 it's not romantic, it's not sexy, but its bonding. 27:52 You know, when you're praying with your wife 27:54 just the two of you and you're praying out loud, 27:56 it's such a blessing. Those of you who do it, 27:59 I'm sure you'll agree with me. 28:02 And so for years now her on her side of the bed and me on mine 28:05 we pray out loud. What a blessing it is. 28:09 And I want to tell you something, I learned this. 28:14 It's impossible to be plotting to divorce your wife 28:16 and be praying with her at the same time, 28:18 you can't pull it off, man. 28:20 Can't do it, because families do what? 28:24 Pray together, they stay together. 28:26 And you know, I'll never forget what one woman said to me. 28:29 She said, after I suggested this one time. 28:31 She said, my husband and I went home 28:34 and we prayed together for the first time. 28:36 You should have heard what he said. 28:38 I have so much respect for him now. 28:43 I don't know about you fellow, 28:45 but I crave it long for the respect of my wife. 28:51 We got to earn that, 28:52 by being the spiritual leader of our home. 28:56 Okay, the home is a place of what? 28:58 Prayer. And when does he pray? 29:02 Private devotions, then when does he pray? 29:05 Family worship, and then when does he pray? 29:08 He prays with his spouse. 29:10 Am I among friends, I feel like when I'm in Michigan, 29:13 I'm among friends, but I got to hear it from you, 29:15 am I among friends. Yes. 29:17 Because this part I'm about to say next. 29:19 I think Danny, gonna introduced us this morning. 29:24 Fellows, we got to do something about the television. 29:30 Television is watched by the average Christian, 29:34 is the opposite of everything you are asking Jesus 29:37 to do in your life, it's the opposite. 29:43 We are by watching this stuff that we're watching, 29:47 we're celebrating the very things for which Jesus died. 29:53 If the scripture is telling us the truth 29:56 that by beholding we become changed, 29:58 we can think what we want and we're going to become, 30:01 and our minds are gonna be the minds of devils. 30:05 To watch simulated sin and now please forgive me 30:08 for saying this, now that the homosexual thing 30:11 has come about and we're laughing at this, 30:14 this is going to burn our brains out. 30:18 This is gonna cauterize our consciences to the point 30:20 where we're not going to know right from wrong. 30:26 By the way in scripture, in scripture, 30:29 the scripture uses leprosy, you know, as the symbol of sin. 30:33 I used to travel in Africa. 30:35 I've seen these people with leprosy. 30:37 You know, leprosy does. 30:39 You know, have you seen these pictures 30:40 with the lepers with no fingers. 30:42 Hey, when you get lepers and your fingers don't fall off. 30:46 When you get leprosy you can move your fingers, 30:49 but you just can't feel anything 30:51 which means you slam your hand 30:52 in the car door and you don't say ouch. 30:55 Its there all crushed and bleeding and somebody says, 30:58 lets get you to the doctor. They'll say never mind, 31:00 I don't know, I didn't hurt myself. 31:04 And that's what's happening to us. 31:07 We are watching things that are taking away 31:10 our ability to discern right from wrong 31:13 and its going to destroy us, fellow. 31:15 Do something about the television. 31:19 Just do something. 31:22 You might say, Pastor O'Fill. 31:26 You know, I feel like you do. 31:29 But my wife, she says, she gets the spiritual blessing 31:33 from watching the soap opera. 31:40 I don't know what to do. 31:41 And I say, make a deal with her just negotiate, 31:47 do a little give and take. What you mean? 31:52 Just say honey, sweetheart, you're telling me 31:55 you get a spiritual blessing from watching the soap operas. 31:59 Why don't we do this, 32:00 we'll have a television for five years 32:03 and then we'll be without one for five years. 32:05 How am I doing? 32:08 And she'll say, I like that. 32:11 Then you say, we've already had your five years. 32:25 So if we're going to stand firm, 32:28 our homes are got to be places of what? 32:33 When does he pray? 32:36 And then? And finally? 32:40 And then the homes, you got to do something about what? 32:43 Just do something, whatever you're doing, 32:45 you say Pastor O'Fill you say, I got to get rid of my T.V. 32:47 I didn't say that. I just say, 32:48 whatever you're doing, I want to tell you 32:50 if this day has been a blessing to you 32:53 and you don't live far from here, 32:54 you go home tonight it will wipe it out, 32:56 I'll tell you that, it'll wipe it out. 33:02 Anyway, this-- it's crazy, you know, 33:07 if your house gets overrun with rats. 33:10 You do something about it. 33:13 Our homes more than overwhelm with rats with the stuff 33:15 we're letting in, its worst than rats, its worst than rats. 33:22 The stuff we're watching you'd have to call us 33:24 peeping toms and pure voyeurism, bad stuff. 33:28 No place in the life of sons and daughters of God, no place. 33:34 Anyway, the third thing. Am I still among friend? 33:38 By the way if you get good anatomy, 33:41 it'll take you while to get organize. 33:44 And I think I can be out of town by the time you get yourselves. 33:48 Anyway, the last point has a text with it. 33:54 In Ephesians 4:32. 33:57 Now the others had text with them too. 34:00 I could have buried you with text. 34:03 I'm not telling you why you don't know. 34:06 I'm just saying come on, fellows, get with it. 34:10 Anyway, this Ephesians 4:32 the first part it simple says. 34:15 Let me turn over here and try to find it. 34:21 It says, "And be ye kind" 34:24 what's the rest of it? "one to another." 34:27 I'm gonna ask you a question. 34:30 Why is it that we are so kind 34:35 to people we don't know from Adam 34:39 and we are so mean to the people we love? 34:46 Not only are we mean to the people we love, 34:50 we call it names, you idiot, you stupid or something, 34:53 you dummy, you lazy. 34:56 Let me ask you a question, fellows. 34:57 How long would you last onto job? 35:04 If you talk to your boss like you talk to your wife, 35:11 how long would you last? 35:14 Our homes are supposed to be heaven on earth. 35:19 Yet I've heard a guy say, 35:20 "I'd rather be at any place than at home." 35:25 Why would our homes belike, 35:29 if we were just kind to each other. 35:33 I heard a person say one time a guy said, 35:36 he was at the office. 35:38 He said, I can't wait to get home at night, 35:40 I get so tired of being kind all day. 35:50 What would our homes belike 35:53 if we were just kind, just kind. 35:57 You know, I'm talking about my white hair. 36:00 I think I was born with white hair. 36:03 You look at me, you think I'm old, don't you? 36:05 I got white hair, when I was in my 30s, 36:09 my dad was in his 30s. 36:11 In fact my wife's worse, because her dad was 28. 36:15 We are race of white haired people. 36:20 But when I started getting grey, when I was in my 30s, 36:26 I thought I'm not gonna let this happen to me, 36:28 I'm gonna dye my hair. So I dyed my hair 36:33 until I saw what men who dyed their hair look like. 36:41 You know, the women could dye their hair they look just fine. 36:44 The man who dyes his hair is green, blue, 36:47 orange and everything else, you know, what I mean? 36:49 I thought I'm not gonna do that no more. 36:53 So once where I was going to Africa for a long trip, 36:56 I thought here go nothing, 36:58 I got back and I had a white hair. 37:00 They thought man what happened to him in Africa, 37:02 man, it must have been pretty bad. 37:08 So, but anyway, 37:14 you get white hair, you get smart. 37:18 And when I say what I'm about to say next 37:21 I think God, fellows, I got to be a parent again 37:28 and that when I was in my 50s. 37:32 We had a little girl come and stay with us for five years 37:36 who was my granddaughter Andrea. 37:39 We kept her from the time she was two 37:43 until the time she was seven. 37:47 Some of you men who know what I'm talking 37:49 about will know that whenever you hear 37:52 that a grandparent has raised a grandchild, 37:55 you know, there is a sad story at someplace. 37:58 But I'm thankful, I'm thankful 38:00 that in spite of the sadness of the story, 38:04 that God allowed me to be a daddy again. 38:08 You know, I have wedding, I have four children of our own. 38:12 We got eight grandchildren, but you know, 38:14 when I was young, younger, 38:18 when I was young in my 30s and 20s, 38:23 I went to Pakistan on a ship with three children 38:26 when I was 26, in the middle of the winter. 38:31 Try that out. And you'll wimp, 38:33 you won't be able to do that. 38:35 Take some time. 38:38 Anyway I think when I was young, 38:42 I was trying to be in charge, you know, 38:46 you try to be the head of the home 38:47 and when you want to be in charge of your home 38:50 you got to be tough. 38:52 And you can't really be tough unless you're little bit mean. 38:57 And you got to show that you're tough and in charge 38:59 and you know, when my kids would come to me 39:01 and say, daddy, can I, I just say no. 39:06 You don't have to hear what they're asking, you just say no, 39:08 because what you're telling them is, I'm in charge. 39:13 And then they'd say, but daddy--I said, I said no. 39:17 But, daddy, I said, I want to. 39:19 I said, no. But, daddy! 39:23 Okay, you go head and do it. 39:31 You know, I'm gonna exaggerate this little bit, okay. 39:35 I'm so glad that Jesus let me be a daddy again. 39:41 Now I know what you're thinking, you're thinking that's the way 39:43 you grandpas are, when the grandchildren. 39:45 No, not for five years fellow, come on now, 39:48 maybe for Christmas and birthday, 39:51 you know but not for five years. 39:53 But, you know, what I did with Andrea? 39:56 Andrea would come to me and she'd say, grandpa can I. 39:59 And the first thing I do is listen to her. 40:01 Not bad, huh. 40:04 What's that, honey? 40:07 And if what she was asking me was reasonable. 40:12 I'd say yes, why not. 40:13 And, you know, what I discovered. 40:18 I discovered that you can be nice and still be in charge. 40:24 You can say yes, and still be the head at the home. 40:29 I discovered that, I discovered you could be nice. 40:34 And you know, now I didn't 40:36 always say yes to Andrea. 40:38 Sometimes I'd say, no honey. 40:42 You know, what she'd do, 40:44 she just turn around and walk away. 40:48 That really surprised me, because I wanted, 40:50 you know, a temper tantrum or something, 40:52 you know, what I mean, a little scream and a little holler, 40:54 and I wanted to say, what's wrong with you, 40:57 aren't you gonna scream or anything? 41:00 But you see, I realized that that one of the reasons 41:03 why our kids carry on so much is because 41:06 they don't how it's going to end up until they're screaming. 41:11 You hear what I am saying. 41:15 Anyway I remember when she used to come to me 41:19 once in a while and she'd say, grandpa, 41:22 help me make my bed. 41:25 Now back when I was, like you oh, I hope you're not like me. 41:31 But back when I was young like you. 41:34 And one of my children would say, help me make my bed, 41:37 I probably say, what you're lazy or something, 41:40 you get in there and make your bed. 41:45 But you get smart see, you get kind after a while. 41:50 You know, I was talking with a guy one day 41:52 and he said if I had my life to live over again, 41:55 I think I'd want to be more kind. 41:59 Anyway I realize that when you're only this big, 42:03 the bed comes up to here on you. Am I wrong? 42:09 Come on now, it comes up to here on you. 42:12 And so I could see, you know, sometimes, sometimes 42:15 I don't know if you ever make the bed at home. 42:18 You're gonna say, no I'm a He-Man, man. 42:21 I don't make my bed I leave it messy all day. 42:25 Give me a break. 42:26 You know, there are some things you can't control in your life, 42:28 but you can make your bed. 42:35 You'll say, but my wife makes the bed. 42:36 Well, another thing, fellows. 42:38 If your wife is having to go out and help you 42:40 make a living, you know, what the deal 42:43 we have in our house, last one out of the bed makes it. 42:47 And you think that's about right, 42:49 if you expect your wife to go out 42:50 and make the money and bring it home, 42:52 and you're not helping around the house, 42:53 you're gonna have trouble. 42:54 I just tell you that. 42:56 Anyway sometimes when you make a bed it's easy to make. 43:03 You just go. 43:08 Other times now it's all over the floor, 43:12 and we're talking about some major work. 43:15 What if you only this big, 43:18 don't put her down, don't call her names. 43:21 She needs help. 43:23 Take her by the hand be nice, go help her make the bed. 43:30 And when she'd say to me, grandpa help me clean my room. 43:34 You know, I'm cleaning my garage now, my garage 43:37 has been so messy lately, I don't know where to start. 43:42 Do you ever had something that messy. 43:43 Listen what if you're only that big? 43:46 Just take her by the hand and help her clean the room. 43:49 Listen, fellows, what would our homes belike 43:53 if we were just kind. 43:55 You know, I was talking with a guy the other day, 43:57 we were talking about this and he said, you know, 43:59 you know, its so funny the way we are at the office, 44:01 we're so polite, you go into the Xerox room 44:04 and somebody's already in there to Xerox it 44:07 and the person says, oh, excuse me. 44:09 And You say, oh, no that's okay. 44:13 Take your time, I'll wait. 44:16 Oh, no I don't worry, 44:17 and again after that you go home. 44:20 And your wife's in the kitchen working around 44:22 and you want something from under the sink, 44:23 you just got to go get out my way. 44:29 Why are we that way fellows? 44:31 What would our home would be like 44:35 if we were just kind. 44:42 You might say, Pastor O'Ffill, you're right. 44:47 But it's too late for me, man. 44:50 I've been mean too long. 44:53 I don't say, God can get over it. 44:57 I think I might have to go back to school, 44:59 take a course in how to be kind. 45:03 And the tuition is real high these days. 45:05 I have to get a student alone. 45:08 Have to quit my job 45:09 and then I wouldn't be able to support my family. 45:13 I don't think there is any hope for me. 45:14 I think I'm gonna have to stay mean. 45:18 And I said, no, there is hope for you. 45:20 I don't know how many hundred of us there are here, 45:23 this afternoon, but there are lots. 45:26 But I know, that everyone of you here know how to be kind. 45:29 You know how to be kind. 45:31 You say, how do you, what do you mean man, 45:32 I don't even know you man? 45:34 You'll tell me, I know how to be kind? 45:36 You don't know me for matter? 45:37 Oh! Well, I don't need to know more about you. 45:40 I know, you know how to be kind 45:42 because I've been talking to you for nearly an hour 45:45 and you've been kind to me. Yeah. 45:49 I've been saying this awful things to you. 45:52 And you've sitting there, ah ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha, 45:54 yeah, yeah, yeah yeah! 45:59 You know how to be kind. 46:01 Come on, just go home 46:06 and be as kind to your family 46:09 as you were to me and to the brothers today. 46:13 Just be kind like that. 46:16 You know, I used to live in South America. 46:21 I speak Spanish, 46:25 and they said we gonna speak Spanish in heaven. 46:29 I don't mind I got a good start, I get a head start. 46:32 I will be all right. 46:34 But one thing I want to know though is-- 46:37 if it's true we're gonna speak Spanish in heaven. 46:40 Then how come when the angel talk with Mrs. Witty 46:43 always spoke in English. 46:49 But however it works out all right with me. 46:51 It's all right with me. 46:53 But down there in South America, they have a custom. 46:58 You know when we get into car and we are gonna take a trip, 47:02 we will say a prayer. 47:04 Don't you do that? We do that. 47:08 But you know what? 47:10 They get in the car and they say a prayer 47:11 when they are even going to the super market. 47:15 May be it's the way they drive for all I know. 47:20 But you know, what I want to do? 47:22 Is I want to challenge you, this is for Monday. 47:27 Listen to me now, when you are coming back 47:31 from work on Monday. 47:33 Oh no! even go, because, no, no, well, let's do it tonight. 47:37 Let's do it tonight. 47:39 You gotta be going home to the wife. 47:42 When you pull up your car in front of the house, 47:48 and you turn off the key, 47:52 before you get out of the car I want to invite you, 47:57 to bow your head and say a prayer. 48:03 And what would that prayer be? 48:06 God help me to be kind. 48:15 You can do that. 48:17 Now it's not going to be easy at first, 48:19 because we've been mean so long. 48:21 Why--you know we love these people, 48:23 we love our family and kids, 48:25 But why do we treat them in this way which means 48:27 its kind of a knee jerk its just like, 48:29 I'm at the office I'm nice I'm at home, I'm mean. 48:32 What it means when we come home, 48:33 we gonna have to work it at a while 48:36 till we are sweet at home 48:37 and I want to tell you when you sweet to those you love, 48:40 you got some sweet going there. Don't you think so? 48:43 We can do that brother. 48:45 And so the Christian home, that's gonna stand firm, 48:50 while the devil has taken everything aparts, 48:53 its gonna be doing at least three things. 48:56 Its gonna be a place of what? Prayer. 48:59 When is he gonna pray? 49:02 Private devotions, fellows if you don't do that, 49:04 listen to me, do that, 49:07 do that, just get down your knees, 49:09 give your heart to Jesus. 49:10 Tell him you are his boy, you want to be his son today 49:13 in whom you are well please. 49:17 We're gonna pray in the morning 49:18 and when else we're gonna pray? 49:20 We gonna have family worship, 49:22 you don't know how to do that? Find out. 49:24 You got problem, you have computer, you find out. 49:28 Let's find out. 49:29 Our families are more important than anything we got. 49:33 You don't know how to have family worship, find out. 49:37 And then, when is the other time we're gonna pray. 49:40 Now, that will be a little tricky 49:42 if you've never done that before. 49:43 A man did that he said, I'm praying 49:45 with my wife for the first time. 49:47 It was a little difficult for me. 49:48 Of course man, I mean you know you've learnt-- 49:51 you know, riding a motorcycle for the first time is not easy. 49:55 You know, you gonna control break yourself. 49:58 And so but you can do that, you get a little practice. 50:01 You just gonna find it will do something to your marriage. 50:03 It will do something to your marriage. 50:05 Family is there what? 50:07 Pray together, stay together. 50:09 And then what else do we do in our home? 50:12 Do something about the T.V. 50:14 I'm serious about this. 50:16 And don't ask your kids what to do. 50:20 So junior, I was listening to preacher 50:23 and I want to ask your permission here to-- 50:29 oh! Have mercy. 50:30 But don't scream at them and holler at him, 50:32 and by the way understand to that you don't ever want to 50:35 pull some out of your life 50:37 unless you put something else in, you understand that? 50:39 Because you pull this out and you leave that hole empty. 50:42 Then you got trouble with that hole. 50:45 You gonna take this out put this in. 50:46 Do you understand me? We do some about television. 50:49 Whatever it is just--whatever you've been doing don't do that. 50:53 And what was the last one? 50:56 Be kind. Come on fellows, be kind. 51:02 What did I tell you anything you didn't know? 51:05 You knew that, didn't you? 51:07 We are now not all alone. 51:09 But you can get your--can you get your hands around that? 51:12 Did you write that down? 51:13 Son, did you write that down? 51:15 I didn't see you writing, how do you tell me 51:16 you wrote it down, I didn't see you writing? 51:18 Oh, you had it already written. 51:19 Alright now, excuse me I'm sorry. 51:22 You got to write it down. 51:23 Hey that guys said-- next to him ask him. 51:26 Did you write it down? 51:27 Okay, I just wanna make sure he is not pilling my leg. 51:30 Ok, take this home fellows and put it into work. 51:33 And the other things you heard during the day, 51:35 its time that we stick up for family. 51:41 At the end of the day no one is ever going to say, 51:46 I wish I would've spent more time at the office. 51:49 At the end of the day all you had was your family. 51:53 Don't throw it away. 51:55 They say Pastor O'Ffill, you talk to me too late man. 51:58 I'm on the third marriage and there is no hope for me, 52:02 no wherever you are at, there's hope for you. 52:04 Jesus will take you where ever you are at. 52:07 And we can't live our lives over again fellows. 52:09 You say I made a thousand mistakes, 52:10 Jesus will forgive those mistakes. 52:12 You know the mistake is not in making the mistake, 52:14 the mistake is keep on making it. 52:17 So, you may have made all kind of mistakes, 52:19 you might have come here to this convention 52:21 making all kinds of mistakes. 52:23 Hey, that was too bad, but if you go home 52:25 and you keep making them, you are dumb. 52:27 You know it's--forgive me 52:29 for saying it, you got to be an idiot. 52:30 I mean I get worse still. 52:33 To make a mistake, and to err is human 52:35 not to admit is dumb. 52:38 So let's go back out of here. 52:40 Let's go back out of here with the resolve 52:42 that by God's grace. 52:45 You expect me to be perfect pastor? 52:46 No, I didn't say that. 52:49 Either when you shoot baskets what do you do? 52:50 Just go, where is the basket man? 52:54 No, come on at least aim for the basket. 53:01 Aim for the baskets, see what happen. 53:04 I'm not perfect, but there is nothing wrong 53:06 with what should I was. 53:08 I want a perfect job, a perfect house, 53:10 a perfect car, perfect wife, perfect kids. 53:12 What's wrong with wanting to do the perfect will of God? 53:15 Let's go home fellows. 53:17 Let's go home. 53:18 Forgetting those things which are behind, 53:20 but remembering them, but looking forward 53:23 to those things which are ahead of us, 53:25 we press on toward the mark of the high calling of God 53:30 in Christ Jesus. 53:33 We represent a lot of homes, 53:35 I've come to conclusion Pastor Gatamore, 53:39 that the Michigan Conference is nothing more or less 53:44 than the homes represented here. 53:46 That they talk about the church 53:48 and the problems with the church, 53:49 the church can never be more than his families. 53:52 And if the church is going to have revival and renewal 53:55 and reformation, it's gonna be because we have revival 53:58 and renewal and reformation in our homes. 54:00 Getting ready for the coming of Jesus. 54:03 It's something that happens at home. 54:05 Before the great and awful day of the Lord I will sin, 54:09 Elijah with the message that turns the hearts 54:13 of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers. 54:16 If you'd like for me to pray for your home, 54:18 I want you to stand. 54:24 Heavenly Father, 54:28 oh daddy of Saul, you who instituted the family. 54:33 Lord do something for us here before the devil takes it away. 54:38 Hear us, we are as men standing 54:40 before You representing all these home. 54:43 You said that when the devil would come in like a flood 54:46 that you would raise up a standard against him. 54:48 Oh God! Do something for our home. 54:54 We know that in order to do that you got to do something 54:56 in our hearts and so for the heart of every man 54:59 who's standing here now, we pray that you'll convict us of sin, 55:04 sweep us and clean us but not just that. 55:08 Oh Jesus, fill us with the fruit of the spirit, 55:12 strengthen us to stand firm we pray 55:16 in these last days through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17