A lady by the
name of Tammy Chance,
00:01:00.52\00:01:02.49
she is Danny's youngest,
00:01:02.52\00:01:04.69
well, only sister, the youngest
of all the family members.
00:01:04.73\00:01:08.76
If you want to know
the truth about Danny,
00:01:08.80\00:01:10.13
ask this young lady.
00:01:10.17\00:01:12.13
Danny told me a
story the other day
00:01:12.17\00:01:14.14
that when her mother went out,
00:01:14.17\00:01:16.14
she'd say, "Now
if they aggravate,
00:01:16.17\00:01:17.61
you tell me when I come home."
00:01:17.64\00:01:19.91
And Tammy would say,
even if they didn't aggravate,
00:01:19.94\00:01:22.34
they'd say, "Mommy,
they aggravated me."
00:01:22.38\00:01:26.28
And they would
always get in trouble.
00:01:26.31\00:01:27.98
But tonight, she's not
going to aggravate you.
00:01:28.02\00:01:29.58
She's going to
sing a wonderful song
00:01:29.62\00:01:30.95
entitled "Uncloudy Day."
00:01:30.99\00:01:32.32
Bless us, Tammy.
00:01:32.35\00:01:33.69
Thank you, John.
00:01:33.72\00:01:35.06
Of course Danny was the
ones telling that story.
00:01:35.09\00:01:37.13
So, you know, you can
take it with a grain of salt,
00:01:37.16\00:01:39.59
but probably they really
did aggravate me, I tell you.
00:01:39.63\00:01:43.13
How many of you
know "Uncloudy Day"?
00:01:43.16\00:01:45.57
The old hymn, Uncloudy Day?
00:01:45.60\00:01:47.50
Okay, I'm going to do
it just a little different
00:01:47.54\00:01:49.57
than probably
what you've heard it.
00:01:49.60\00:01:51.24
But feel free to
sing along with me.
00:01:51.27\00:01:53.51
I think you'll enjoy it.
00:01:53.54\00:01:54.88
They tell me of a
home Far beyond the skies
00:02:06.49\00:02:11.49
They tell me of a home far away
00:02:11.53\00:02:16.10
Oh, they tell me of a home
00:02:16.13\00:02:18.70
Where no storm clouds rise
00:02:18.73\00:02:21.80
Oh, they tell me
Of an unclouded day
00:02:21.84\00:02:28.18
Oh, the land Of
the cloudless day
00:02:28.21\00:02:33.21
Oh, the land
00:02:33.25\00:02:35.18
Of the unclouded sky
00:02:35.22\00:02:39.15
They tell me of a home
Where no storm clouds rise
00:02:39.19\00:02:44.46
Yes, they tell me
Of an unclouded day
00:02:44.49\00:02:50.60
They tell me of a King
00:02:50.63\00:02:52.63
In His beauty there
00:02:52.67\00:02:55.57
They tell me that mine eyes
00:02:55.60\00:02:57.81
Shall behold
00:02:57.84\00:03:00.21
Where He sits on the
throne That is whiter than snow
00:03:00.24\00:03:05.91
In the city That is made of gold
00:03:05.95\00:03:11.59
Sing it with me.
00:03:11.62\00:03:12.95
Oh, the land Of
the cloudless day
00:03:12.99\00:03:17.49
Oh, the land
00:03:17.53\00:03:19.36
Of the unclouded sky
00:03:19.39\00:03:23.47
They tell me of a home
Where no storm clouds rise
00:03:23.50\00:03:28.57
Yes, they tell me
Of an unclouded day
00:03:28.60\00:03:33.14
They tell me that He
smiles On His children there
00:03:46.29\00:03:51.36
His smile drives
Their sorrows all away
00:03:51.39\00:03:55.93
And they tell me That
no tears ever come again
00:03:55.96\00:04:01.60
In that lovely
land Of unclouded day
00:04:01.64\00:04:06.78
Oh, the land Of
the cloudless day
00:04:06.81\00:04:11.68
Oh, the land Of
the unclouded sky
00:04:11.71\00:04:17.72
They tell me of a home
00:04:17.75\00:04:19.95
Where no storm clouds rise
00:04:19.99\00:04:23.09
Yes, they tell me
00:04:23.12\00:04:25.19
Of an unclouded day
00:04:25.23\00:04:29.66
Yes, they tell me
00:04:33.44\00:04:35.87
Of an unclouded day
00:04:35.90\00:04:40.98
Thank you, Tammy.
00:04:52.02\00:04:53.66
You can tell by
listening to that song
00:04:53.69\00:04:55.72
that the musicians are
not from Brooklyn, New York.
00:04:55.76\00:04:59.63
Is that a safe assumption?
00:04:59.66\00:05:01.33
Wonderful song sung
in a way that I believe
00:05:01.36\00:05:03.60
is reminiscent of the Midwest,
00:05:03.63\00:05:05.40
but still the
message is unchanged.
00:05:05.43\00:05:07.30
One day we're going
to see that uncloudy day,
00:05:07.34\00:05:08.87
I'm looking forward to that.
00:05:08.90\00:05:10.24
What about you?
00:05:10.27\00:05:11.61
You know, years
ago when I first met
00:05:11.64\00:05:13.38
the Kenneth Cox
evangelistic team,
00:05:13.41\00:05:16.04
I was down in Texas.
00:05:16.08\00:05:17.95
And, you know,
everything is big in Texas.
00:05:17.98\00:05:19.58
But when I heard
the organ player,
00:05:19.61\00:05:21.92
I thought to myself
"Now I see one of the reasons
00:05:21.95\00:05:24.39
why wherever Kenneth Cox goes,
he carries Dona Klein with him.
00:05:24.42\00:05:28.22
Tonight Dona Klein
is going to bless us
00:05:28.26\00:05:30.19
as she plays a song
"If I Can Help Somebody."
00:05:30.23\00:05:33.56
Let's welcome her
with a hearty amen.
00:05:33.60\00:05:35.16
Amen.
00:05:35.20\00:05:36.53
Amen.
00:07:59.71\00:08:01.61
That song has
an undying message.
00:08:01.64\00:08:03.24
If I can help
somebody when Jesus comes back
00:08:03.28\00:08:05.95
He'll say, "As
much as you've done it
00:08:05.98\00:08:07.88
to the least of these you,"
what, "you've done it unto Me."
00:08:07.92\00:08:10.42
Thank you so
much, Dona, for that.
00:08:10.45\00:08:12.89
Dona is to organs what
Ken Cox is to evangelism,
00:08:12.92\00:08:16.32
always a step ahead
00:08:16.36\00:08:18.09
of whoever is
behind that person.
00:08:18.13\00:08:20.40
You know, we're going to
be blessed by a young man
00:08:20.43\00:08:22.06
that has been a part
00:08:22.10\00:08:23.43
of the 3ABN family for a long...
00:08:23.47\00:08:24.80
Did I say young man?
00:08:24.83\00:08:26.50
I meant Steve Darmody.
00:08:26.53\00:08:29.50
He's been a part
of the 3ABN family
00:08:29.54\00:08:31.27
for a number of
years blessing everyone
00:08:31.31\00:08:33.78
wherever he goes
00:08:33.81\00:08:35.14
with his smooth
voice and a rich tone
00:08:35.18\00:08:38.31
and always a wonderful message.
00:08:38.35\00:08:39.71
But after Steve,
you're going to hear from,
00:08:39.75\00:08:42.18
I would refer to Ken Cox
00:08:42.22\00:08:43.55
as the
evangelist of evangelists,
00:08:43.59\00:08:46.45
wherever he goes,
the church, the audience,
00:08:46.49\00:08:50.16
the people are never the same.
00:08:50.19\00:08:51.86
So let's prepare our
hearts after this wonderful song
00:08:51.89\00:08:55.30
for the message
by Pastor Ken Cox.
00:08:55.33\00:08:57.23
Marvelous grace
00:09:12.18\00:09:14.95
Of our loving Lord
00:09:14.98\00:09:18.12
Grace that exceeds
00:09:18.15\00:09:20.59
Our guilt and our sins
00:09:20.62\00:09:23.93
Yonder on Calvary's
00:09:23.96\00:09:27.10
Mount outpoured
00:09:27.13\00:09:30.37
There where the blood
00:09:30.40\00:09:33.23
Of the Lamb was spilt
00:09:33.27\00:09:37.31
Grace, grace
00:09:37.34\00:09:40.74
God's grace
00:09:40.78\00:09:44.15
Grace that Will
pardon And cleanse within
00:09:44.18\00:09:50.79
Grace, grace
00:09:50.82\00:09:54.22
God's grace
00:09:54.26\00:09:57.83
Grace that is
greater Than all our sin
00:09:57.86\00:10:05.13
Dark is the stain
00:10:10.77\00:10:14.34
That I cannot hide
00:10:14.38\00:10:17.68
What can avail to wash it
00:10:17.71\00:10:22.82
Away Look!
00:10:22.85\00:10:26.05
There is flowing a crimson tide
00:10:26.09\00:10:31.56
Whiter than snow
00:10:31.59\00:10:34.63
You may be today
00:10:34.66\00:10:39.57
Grace, grace
00:10:39.60\00:10:42.90
God's grace
00:10:42.94\00:10:46.34
Grace that is
greater Than all our sin
00:10:46.37\00:10:53.18
Grace, grace
00:10:53.21\00:10:56.72
God's grace
00:10:56.75\00:11:00.29
Grace that is
greater Than all our sin
00:11:00.32\00:11:07.40
Marvelous,
infinite Matchless grace
00:11:16.87\00:11:22.34
Freely bestowed
On all who believe
00:11:22.38\00:11:28.32
You that are longing
00:11:28.35\00:11:31.09
To see His face
00:11:31.12\00:11:34.72
Will you this moment
00:11:34.76\00:11:37.76
His grace receive
00:11:37.79\00:11:41.30
I don't imagine
there's probably anyone
00:11:46.40\00:11:49.70
who's hearing my voice right now
00:11:49.74\00:11:51.37
who's not heard
of the wonderful song
00:11:51.41\00:11:54.18
"Amazing Grace."
00:11:54.21\00:11:57.28
But hearing the song
and knowing the words
00:11:57.31\00:11:59.88
and how they all come
together to make the sentences
00:11:59.91\00:12:02.65
is not the same as
experiencing that grace
00:12:02.68\00:12:05.85
and inviting that grace
to cover and to cleanse you.
00:12:05.89\00:12:10.39
Let's begin our camp meeting
this year with that grace.
00:12:10.43\00:12:15.13
Amazing Grace
00:12:15.16\00:12:20.90
How sweet the sound
00:12:20.94\00:12:25.84
That saved a wretch like me
00:12:25.87\00:12:31.08
I once was lost
00:12:35.15\00:12:40.52
But now I'm found
00:12:40.56\00:12:45.79
Was blind
00:12:45.83\00:12:48.80
But now I see
00:12:48.83\00:12:55.80
Amen.
00:13:12.65\00:13:13.99
Gracious Father, tonight,
00:13:29.20\00:13:33.21
we'd like to invite
Your presence to be with us,
00:13:33.24\00:13:38.11
pray that the
Holy Spirit may come
00:13:38.15\00:13:40.02
and be close to each one of us.
00:13:40.05\00:13:45.09
We ask Lord that our hearts
00:13:45.12\00:13:48.39
may be open,
00:13:48.42\00:13:51.29
that they may be
soft, they may be tender.
00:13:51.33\00:13:55.10
That the Holy Spirit
00:13:55.13\00:13:56.46
might be able to lead,
guide, direct each one of us.
00:13:56.50\00:14:01.10
Give us understanding,
00:14:01.14\00:14:04.07
but of all, Lord, we
pray that You will help us
00:14:04.11\00:14:09.31
that we might be submissive
to Your will and Your desires.
00:14:09.34\00:14:15.58
For this we ask in
Christ's name, amen.
00:14:15.62\00:14:19.15
I don't think
there's ever a time
00:14:26.26\00:14:29.60
that we hold an
evangelistic meeting
00:14:29.63\00:14:32.60
that somebody doesn't come to me
00:14:32.63\00:14:36.00
and say to me...
00:14:36.04\00:14:37.87
"I don't know that I'm saved.
00:14:40.88\00:14:42.21
I just don't feel
like that I have salvation.
00:14:46.18\00:14:50.82
I just don't really feel
00:14:50.85\00:14:55.82
that things are right."
00:14:55.86\00:14:57.89
But how do you know?
00:14:57.93\00:15:00.60
How do you know if
you're saved or not?
00:15:00.63\00:15:06.74
Tonight, I'm going to
speak on a sure indication,
00:15:06.77\00:15:12.17
a sure
indication that you're saved
00:15:12.21\00:15:16.88
that you can know if
you're saved, if you're not.
00:15:16.91\00:15:20.95
What does the scripture say?
00:15:20.98\00:15:22.72
What does it tell us?
00:15:22.75\00:15:24.12
How can I know for sure
that I'll be in God's kingdom.
00:15:24.15\00:15:29.96
I'd like for you
look at this text.
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.29
It says, "By this all will know
00:15:32.33\00:15:36.36
that you are My disciples..."
00:15:36.40\00:15:39.07
John 13:35.
00:15:39.10\00:15:40.87
By this all of you
will know that you may know
00:15:40.90\00:15:45.71
you're my disciples,
00:15:45.74\00:15:47.14
if you have, if
you love one another.
00:15:47.18\00:15:51.18
So if you want to know
that you belong to Him,
00:15:51.21\00:15:56.65
that you're one
of His disciples,
00:15:56.69\00:15:59.95
you can know that if
you love one another.
00:15:59.99\00:16:05.06
Absolutely required,
00:16:05.09\00:16:08.06
necessary that
I love my brother,
00:16:08.10\00:16:12.87
I love my neighbor...
00:16:12.90\00:16:14.80
I love...
00:16:18.17\00:16:19.51
the person next door.
00:16:22.51\00:16:23.85
Didn't say a word, folks,
00:16:29.05\00:16:31.05
about if they were good,
00:16:31.09\00:16:35.32
like I am to love other people.
00:16:35.36\00:16:39.63
That's what the scripture
says, must take place in my life
00:16:39.66\00:16:43.67
if the Lord is
going to bless me,
00:16:43.70\00:16:46.57
you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.
00:16:46.60\00:16:53.38
That's what it says,
how do we love one another.
00:16:53.41\00:16:55.88
Tonight, I'm going
to share three ways
00:16:55.91\00:17:01.08
in which you can
love your neighbor,
00:17:01.12\00:17:05.19
three ways that you
can love one another.
00:17:05.22\00:17:07.79
What the
scripture tells us about it?
00:17:07.82\00:17:10.23
It says, again with here
00:17:10.26\00:17:12.83
in Luke 6:31,
00:17:12.86\00:17:17.40
excuse me, I'm sorry, James 2:8.
00:17:17.43\00:17:20.10
"If you really
fulfill the royal law
00:17:20.14\00:17:22.80
according to the scripture,
00:17:22.84\00:17:24.57
you shall love your
neighbor as yourself."
00:17:24.61\00:17:30.18
Do you do that?
00:17:30.21\00:17:32.85
You love your
neighbor as yourself?
00:17:32.88\00:17:35.92
It's quite a question.
00:17:40.42\00:17:43.32
Do you love the person
next door to you as yourself?
00:17:43.36\00:17:48.76
I would ask you
00:17:52.10\00:17:53.44
"Do you know the name
of the person next door?"
00:17:53.47\00:17:55.77
Really, that's the question.
00:18:00.14\00:18:02.54
You know, I
don't have any contact,
00:18:02.58\00:18:04.15
I don't know them.
00:18:04.18\00:18:05.51
Scripture says you'd
to love them as yourself.
00:18:05.55\00:18:09.42
One of the great
missionaries of the past.
00:18:09.45\00:18:12.79
One of the first missionaries
to take Christianity to India
00:18:12.82\00:18:17.23
was a missionary
by name of Moffitt.
00:18:17.26\00:18:20.43
Moffitt, when he
went over to India,
00:18:20.46\00:18:24.03
hired a man to work with him
00:18:24.07\00:18:27.94
to help him in the things
that needed to do and all.
00:18:27.97\00:18:31.34
And this man worked for Moffitt
for quite a number of years.
00:18:31.37\00:18:35.91
And Moffitt had to
leave and go on a trip,
00:18:35.94\00:18:38.98
and he left this
gentleman at his house.
00:18:39.01\00:18:42.05
And while he was gone,
00:18:42.08\00:18:43.65
this man stole a
large sum of money
00:18:43.69\00:18:48.29
from Moffitt and fled with it.
00:18:48.32\00:18:51.73
When Moffitt got
back and found out
00:18:51.76\00:18:53.80
that the money was gone
that this man had taken it,
00:18:53.83\00:18:56.87
he and another man
set out to find him.
00:18:56.90\00:19:01.20
And it took them
quite a number of days
00:19:01.24\00:19:03.57
until they
finally located this man
00:19:03.61\00:19:06.57
that had taken the money.
00:19:06.61\00:19:08.48
And when they found him,
00:19:08.51\00:19:11.05
Moffitt dropped to his knees
00:19:11.08\00:19:16.28
and said to the
man, "Forgive me.
00:19:16.32\00:19:19.79
I'm sorry.
00:19:19.82\00:19:22.02
I'm sorry that I
didn't pay you enough wages.
00:19:22.06\00:19:28.20
Sorry that I didn't care
for you like I should have.
00:19:28.23\00:19:31.17
Will you forgive me?
00:19:31.20\00:19:33.40
If you'll come
back and work for me,
00:19:33.44\00:19:37.77
I'll pay you more wages."
00:19:37.81\00:19:41.41
And the man gave
back the money, went back,
00:19:41.44\00:19:45.61
and worked with
Moffitt the rest of his life.
00:19:45.65\00:19:50.25
See, I must love
my neighbor as myself.
00:19:50.29\00:19:56.66
Yeah, you can't, folks,
00:19:56.69\00:19:58.69
go through life and not
know your neighbor next door,
00:19:58.73\00:20:03.70
not knowing the
people around you.
00:20:03.73\00:20:05.60
You can't have
feelings of resentment.
00:20:05.63\00:20:11.47
You can't have
feelings of criticalness
00:20:11.51\00:20:16.14
in your heart concerning
00:20:16.18\00:20:17.68
your brother,
sister in the church.
00:20:17.71\00:20:20.82
You can't do that.
00:20:20.85\00:20:23.12
That is contrary to scripture.
00:20:23.15\00:20:26.55
And if you want to know
that you're His disciple,
00:20:26.59\00:20:32.53
then you can know it
if you love one another.
00:20:32.56\00:20:37.63
That is how we know
that we are His disciples,
00:20:37.67\00:20:42.74
that we are a
follower of the Lord.
00:20:42.77\00:20:46.64
That's the first point.
00:20:46.68\00:20:48.28
I will love my
neighbor as myself.
00:20:48.31\00:20:51.71
So if you really want to
know if you're His disciple,
00:20:51.75\00:20:53.92
if you want to know
00:20:53.95\00:20:55.52
that you're going
to be in God's kingdom,
00:20:55.55\00:20:58.12
then take a good
look at your heart.
00:20:58.15\00:21:01.32
And say, do I love
my neighbor as myself?
00:21:01.36\00:21:05.16
Secondly,
00:21:05.19\00:21:07.56
the scripture
says that you must...
00:21:07.60\00:21:12.20
It's a hard one,
00:21:12.23\00:21:14.24
that you must esteem
00:21:14.27\00:21:18.14
everyone better than yourself.
00:21:18.17\00:21:22.14
Let's look at the scripture
'cause that's what it says.
00:21:25.15\00:21:28.78
Philippians 2:3,
00:21:28.82\00:21:33.36
"Let nothing be done
00:21:33.39\00:21:35.06
through selfish
ambition or conceit,
00:21:35.09\00:21:38.83
but in lowliness of mind
00:21:38.86\00:21:42.06
let each esteem others
00:21:42.10\00:21:46.30
better than himself."
00:21:46.33\00:21:49.07
Let each esteem others
00:21:49.10\00:21:52.54
better than yourself.
00:21:52.57\00:21:56.51
When you are about ready
00:21:56.54\00:22:01.18
to say something critical
00:22:01.22\00:22:03.89
about somebody else
00:22:03.92\00:22:06.69
or you're about ready to gossip
00:22:06.72\00:22:11.79
about somebody else...
00:22:11.83\00:22:13.19
to find fault
with that person...
00:22:16.90\00:22:20.10
are you esteeming them
00:22:23.10\00:22:25.84
better than yourself?
00:22:25.87\00:22:30.48
Is that what you're doing?
00:22:30.51\00:22:33.38
For this, the
scripture makes clear
00:22:33.42\00:22:35.38
that I must esteem
00:22:35.42\00:22:37.75
the other
individual better than myself.
00:22:37.79\00:22:43.06
Now you say, "Brother Cox,
00:22:43.09\00:22:44.89
that's very difficult
and how can that happen?
00:22:44.93\00:22:48.00
How can that take place?"
00:22:48.03\00:22:51.47
Let me tell you.
00:22:51.50\00:22:52.83
It does not take place
00:22:52.87\00:22:57.11
by trying.
00:22:57.14\00:23:00.08
It does not
take place by trying,
00:23:00.11\00:23:04.81
by saying, "I'm
going to be kinder,
00:23:04.85\00:23:07.22
I'm going to be more loving.
00:23:07.25\00:23:09.08
I'm going to be more gentle."
00:23:09.12\00:23:11.15
Doesn't take place that way.
00:23:11.19\00:23:15.12
It takes place by surrender.
00:23:15.16\00:23:19.79
Surrender sometimes, folks,
00:23:19.83\00:23:22.40
when it hurts,
it hurts horribly.
00:23:22.43\00:23:27.70
But yet, I must be
willing to surrender
00:23:27.74\00:23:32.57
or else the Holy Spirit
00:23:32.61\00:23:35.41
cannot do its work.
00:23:35.44\00:23:39.05
Only to a heart
that is surrendered,
00:23:39.08\00:23:43.89
that is given to God
can the Holy Spirit work.
00:23:43.92\00:23:48.12
Listen to this scripture.
00:23:48.16\00:23:49.82
I found in
00:23:49.86\00:23:51.76
James 3:17.
00:23:51.79\00:23:56.60
"But the wisdom
that is from above..."
00:23:56.63\00:23:59.23
The wisdom that is from where?
00:23:59.27\00:24:01.44
From above.
00:24:01.47\00:24:02.80
So let's not talk about
00:24:02.84\00:24:04.17
what you and I might conjure up.
00:24:04.21\00:24:06.27
That's not what
we're talking about.
00:24:06.31\00:24:07.74
We're talking about the
wisdom that is from above.
00:24:07.78\00:24:11.18
Okay.
00:24:11.21\00:24:12.55
What does it tell us?
00:24:12.58\00:24:13.92
Is first what?
00:24:13.95\00:24:15.82
Pure.
00:24:15.85\00:24:17.72
Then peaceable, gentle."
00:24:17.75\00:24:22.62
Oh my!
00:24:22.66\00:24:24.66
"The wisdom that is from above
00:24:24.69\00:24:27.76
is pure,
00:24:27.80\00:24:30.10
peaceable, gentle,"
00:24:30.13\00:24:34.24
and then these words
00:24:34.27\00:24:36.87
"Willing to yield."
00:24:36.91\00:24:40.88
Whoa!
00:24:40.91\00:24:42.48
Willing to yield.
00:24:42.51\00:24:47.75
When you've had an argument,
00:24:47.78\00:24:51.19
are you willing to yield?
00:24:51.22\00:24:52.79
When somebody, you
know, has really taken a stand
00:24:57.33\00:25:02.63
that's contrary to
what you want to believe,
00:25:02.66\00:25:04.57
are you willing to yield?
00:25:04.60\00:25:08.04
Are you willing to say okay?
00:25:08.07\00:25:11.94
It must be willing
to yield "full of mercy
00:25:11.97\00:25:16.85
and good fruits
00:25:16.88\00:25:18.75
without partiality
without hypocrisy."
00:25:18.78\00:25:24.65
That is what God calls you
00:25:24.69\00:25:27.72
and calls me too.
00:25:27.76\00:25:31.16
I must esteem
00:25:31.19\00:25:34.00
others better than myself.
00:25:34.03\00:25:40.77
So the next time
00:25:40.80\00:25:43.51
you're about ready to offer
00:25:43.54\00:25:45.07
some critical
remark concerning somebody,
00:25:45.11\00:25:51.05
stop and think.
00:25:51.08\00:25:53.72
Are you one of His disciples?
00:25:53.75\00:25:57.39
You want to get
into the kingdom of God?
00:26:01.52\00:26:04.06
Are you His disciple?
00:26:04.09\00:26:07.60
You see, the scripture
lays it out quite clearly.
00:26:07.63\00:26:11.10
It says
00:26:11.13\00:26:14.07
that Jesus is the
head of the church.
00:26:14.10\00:26:19.31
That's what it
tells us, Colossians 1:18,
00:26:19.34\00:26:23.08
"And He is the head
of the body, the church."
00:26:23.11\00:26:26.88
So Christ is the
head of the church.
00:26:26.92\00:26:29.75
Need to always keep that clear
00:26:29.78\00:26:32.22
that He is the
head of the church.
00:26:32.25\00:26:35.49
Okay.
00:26:35.52\00:26:37.69
Who are the members?
00:26:37.73\00:26:40.33
Huh?
00:26:40.36\00:26:41.70
You are.
00:26:41.73\00:26:43.06
You're the members.
00:26:43.10\00:26:44.47
It goes on here
in 1 Corinthians 12,
00:26:44.50\00:26:48.47
and it says, "For
as the body is one
00:26:48.50\00:26:51.44
and has many members,
00:26:51.47\00:26:53.44
but all the
members of that one body."
00:26:53.48\00:26:57.78
Okay, so the body is
one, Christ is the head,
00:26:57.81\00:27:00.62
you and I are members,
00:27:00.65\00:27:04.39
"being many are one body,
00:27:04.42\00:27:06.42
so also is Christ."
00:27:06.45\00:27:09.76
So here you have the church
00:27:09.79\00:27:12.73
made up of members, okay?
00:27:12.76\00:27:17.00
Watch as He continues.
00:27:17.03\00:27:18.80
It says here about the Church.
00:27:18.83\00:27:21.70
it says that they are one.
00:27:21.74\00:27:25.77
"If the foot should say,
00:27:25.81\00:27:27.81
'Because I'm not the hand,
00:27:27.84\00:27:31.91
am I not of the body,'
00:27:31.95\00:27:34.62
is it therefore
not of the body?"
00:27:34.65\00:27:37.22
The foot says,
00:27:37.25\00:27:38.59
"Well, really I
don't like being the foot.
00:27:38.62\00:27:42.39
I really want to be the hand."
00:27:42.42\00:27:46.29
Does that mean it's
not of the body anymore?
00:27:46.33\00:27:49.50
No, it's still part of the body.
00:27:49.53\00:27:52.27
"And if the ear should
say 'Because I'm not the eye,
00:27:52.30\00:27:57.57
I am not of the body,'
00:27:57.61\00:27:58.94
is it therefore
not of the body?"
00:27:58.97\00:28:01.78
No, just because
the ear would say
00:28:01.81\00:28:04.38
"I'd must rather be the eye."
00:28:04.41\00:28:07.62
But because it's not the eye,
00:28:07.65\00:28:11.49
does it cease to
be part of the body?
00:28:11.52\00:28:14.72
No.
00:28:14.76\00:28:16.12
"And if the whole
body were an eye..."
00:28:16.16\00:28:19.59
The scripture says "If
the whole body were an eye,
00:28:19.63\00:28:22.46
where would be the hearing?"
00:28:22.50\00:28:25.47
It's necessary, has to be.
00:28:25.50\00:28:28.90
"And if the whole were hearing,
where would be the smelling?"
00:28:28.94\00:28:33.74
See? It takes all the members.
00:28:33.78\00:28:35.64
Let me tell you something.
00:28:35.68\00:28:38.41
It doesn't make any difference
00:28:38.45\00:28:41.72
how young you are
or how old you are,
00:28:41.75\00:28:46.86
you have a
purpose in God's church.
00:28:46.89\00:28:49.76
Amen.
00:28:49.79\00:28:51.16
Every one of you,
00:28:51.19\00:28:53.63
you have a
purpose in the church.
00:28:53.66\00:28:56.97
I don't care who you are.
00:28:57.00\00:29:00.44
You are a member of the church.
00:29:00.47\00:29:02.74
Verse 18 says, "But now
God has set the members,
00:29:02.77\00:29:07.98
each one of them, in the body
00:29:08.01\00:29:10.35
just as He pleases."
00:29:10.38\00:29:15.08
Did you get the point?
00:29:15.12\00:29:16.89
God has set each
member in the church,
00:29:16.92\00:29:20.52
each member in the
body as it pleases Him,
00:29:20.56\00:29:26.43
not as we wish,
but as it pleases Him,
00:29:26.46\00:29:30.57
He's put them in the body.
00:29:30.60\00:29:32.60
Okay.
00:29:32.63\00:29:33.97
They each have a purpose,
00:29:34.00\00:29:36.54
and God places them there, okay?
00:29:36.57\00:29:39.77
Now He goes on and says
"And if one member suffers...
00:29:39.81\00:29:44.78
"If one member suffers,
00:29:48.75\00:29:52.49
all members suffer with it.
00:29:52.52\00:29:56.99
And if one member is honored,"
00:29:57.03\00:30:00.00
what, "all
members rejoice with it."
00:30:00.03\00:30:04.67
Is that the way it is with you?
00:30:04.70\00:30:08.24
In your local church
00:30:08.27\00:30:11.17
if one of the members suffer,
00:30:11.21\00:30:14.41
do you suffer with them?
00:30:14.44\00:30:17.98
If one is honored, do
you rejoice with them?
00:30:18.01\00:30:22.95
That's what God
has called you to do.
00:30:22.98\00:30:25.92
Now you are the body of Christ
00:30:25.95\00:30:29.19
and members individually,
00:30:29.22\00:30:33.76
each one of you
00:30:33.80\00:30:37.03
are member in
the body of Christ.
00:30:37.07\00:30:40.74
And I am to
suffer if they suffer
00:30:40.77\00:30:43.20
or rejoice if they rejoice.
00:30:43.24\00:30:46.78
That is part of being
part of the body of Christ.
00:30:46.81\00:30:50.48
Well,
00:30:50.51\00:30:54.48
let's say that
I've got a toothache.
00:30:54.52\00:30:59.39
It bothered me.
00:30:59.42\00:31:00.96
Let's say it wakes me
up at 3:00 in the morning,
00:31:00.99\00:31:05.79
terrible toothache.
00:31:05.83\00:31:08.06
And I decide I'm going
to go into the bathroom
00:31:08.10\00:31:10.83
and get me an aspirin
and take an aspirin to see
00:31:10.87\00:31:14.50
if it'll kind of dead the pain
00:31:14.54\00:31:16.30
until I can get to the
dentist in the morning.
00:31:16.34\00:31:19.07
Okay.
00:31:19.11\00:31:20.48
So I get up and I
walk into the bathroom,
00:31:20.51\00:31:23.41
and I'm going
to get some aspirin
00:31:23.45\00:31:26.55
out of the medicine cabinet.
00:31:26.58\00:31:29.15
And I get into the bathroom
00:31:29.18\00:31:31.99
and my hands won't move.
00:31:32.02\00:31:35.26
I can't move my hands.
00:31:35.29\00:31:36.62
I try to move them
but they won't move.
00:31:36.66\00:31:38.49
And they say
"Good enough for you.
00:31:38.53\00:31:42.56
You should have known
00:31:42.60\00:31:43.97
that you shouldn't be eating
all that sugar, that candy.
00:31:44.00\00:31:47.54
You knew that would give
you problems with your teeth.
00:31:47.57\00:31:51.21
It's good enough, tough.
00:31:51.24\00:31:53.01
You'll just have to suffer."
00:31:53.04\00:31:55.54
Is that the way
my hands treat me?
00:31:55.58\00:31:58.08
No my hands
sympathize with my tooth.
00:31:58.11\00:32:02.72
Dear friend, why is this that
when one of the church members,
00:32:06.19\00:32:11.79
the foot, the hand, the
eye, the ear has a problem?
00:32:11.83\00:32:17.43
And we say, "Oh
good enough for you.
00:32:17.47\00:32:21.17
You shouldn't have
been acting that way."
00:32:21.20\00:32:23.00
What are we talking about?
00:32:26.21\00:32:28.38
Who called us to do that?
00:32:28.41\00:32:31.21
No.
00:32:31.25\00:32:32.81
If they suffer,
00:32:32.85\00:32:35.15
then I need to suffer with them.
00:32:35.18\00:32:38.35
If they're honored,
sure, I can rejoice with them.
00:32:38.39\00:32:42.52
You know, we sing a song.
00:32:42.56\00:32:45.69
It's called the Family of God.
00:32:45.73\00:32:48.66
You'll notice
what it says, it says,
00:32:48.70\00:32:51.13
"You will notice that
we say brother and sister
00:32:51.17\00:32:54.74
'round here," okay?
00:32:54.77\00:32:57.24
"It's because we're a family."
00:32:57.27\00:33:01.14
So near.
00:33:01.18\00:33:04.08
"And these folks are so near.
00:33:04.11\00:33:06.45
If one has a heart ache,
00:33:06.48\00:33:10.32
we all share the tears,
00:33:10.35\00:33:13.62
and rejoice in each
victory in this family so dear."
00:33:13.66\00:33:20.20
That's what God has
called the family to be.
00:33:20.23\00:33:23.67
I'm to love
00:33:23.70\00:33:27.30
my brother, my sister,
00:33:27.34\00:33:31.07
I'm to consider that person
00:33:31.11\00:33:35.14
better than myself.
00:33:35.18\00:33:38.78
If I'm going to be His disciple,
00:33:42.58\00:33:48.09
I must consider that person
00:33:48.12\00:33:50.53
better than myself.
00:33:50.56\00:33:55.43
In my devotion this morning,
00:33:55.46\00:33:58.90
I was reading,
00:33:58.93\00:34:02.44
and I'm reading right
now, Prophets and Kings,
00:34:02.47\00:34:08.71
I came across this statement,
00:34:08.74\00:34:11.35
page 645.
00:34:11.38\00:34:14.78
"Even some who desire
00:34:14.82\00:34:17.95
the work of God
to prosper," okay?
00:34:17.99\00:34:21.39
"Even some who desire
the work of God to prosper,
00:34:21.42\00:34:26.93
will yet weaken the
hands of His servants.
00:34:26.96\00:34:31.80
People who desired
for the work to go forward
00:34:31.83\00:34:34.87
and prosper weakened
the hands of His servants
00:34:34.90\00:34:38.37
by hearing,
reporting, and half believing
00:34:38.41\00:34:44.15
the slander, the boast,
the menace of His adversaries."
00:34:44.18\00:34:50.39
I hear something,
00:34:53.42\00:34:56.02
don't know really whether
its fact or whether it's not,
00:34:56.06\00:34:59.83
and you don't even have
to completely believe it.
00:34:59.86\00:35:02.63
All you got to do
is half believe it
00:35:02.66\00:35:07.07
and talk about it.
00:35:07.10\00:35:10.41
And what do I do?
00:35:10.44\00:35:12.27
I weaken the
hands of His servants.
00:35:12.31\00:35:17.65
Now, folks, in
the family of God,
00:35:17.68\00:35:21.35
that's not what we do.
00:35:21.38\00:35:26.09
We don't do that.
00:35:26.12\00:35:28.59
I must not be critical.
00:35:28.62\00:35:33.66
I must
00:35:33.70\00:35:36.60
keep my thoughts,
00:35:36.63\00:35:40.44
what I have to say,
00:35:40.47\00:35:42.34
positive if I'm going to
love my neighbor as myself.
00:35:42.37\00:35:47.98
You remember,
00:35:51.01\00:35:54.48
they brought this woman to Jesus
00:35:54.52\00:35:58.52
caught in the act of adultery.
00:35:58.55\00:36:02.62
Now, folks, this
was not something
00:36:02.66\00:36:05.16
that was hearsay.
00:36:05.19\00:36:09.00
I mean, here she
was, she's guilty.
00:36:09.03\00:36:12.33
And you remember
Jesus just knelt down,
00:36:15.34\00:36:18.37
and by the way,
00:36:18.41\00:36:20.14
no place do you
find in scripture
00:36:20.18\00:36:23.38
where Jesus,
00:36:23.41\00:36:26.72
how should I say,
00:36:26.75\00:36:30.49
criticized or was
critical of other individuals,
00:36:30.52\00:36:35.66
didn't do this.
00:36:35.69\00:36:37.03
He knelt down,
00:36:37.06\00:36:38.39
and He wrote
their sins in the sand.
00:36:38.43\00:36:43.47
But He did not
publicly say "This is your sin."
00:36:43.50\00:36:49.40
He wrote their sin in the sand.
00:36:49.44\00:36:51.07
They knew it was their sin.
00:36:51.11\00:36:54.74
And one after another,
they got up and walked away.
00:36:54.78\00:36:58.95
And after they had left,
00:36:58.98\00:37:01.98
He said, "Where
are your accusers?"
00:37:02.02\00:37:05.85
And she said, "No one, Lord."
00:37:05.89\00:37:10.69
And Jesus said to her,
00:37:10.73\00:37:12.83
"Neither do I condemn you,
00:37:12.86\00:37:17.07
go and sin no more."
00:37:17.10\00:37:19.37
Now let me tell you something.
00:37:19.40\00:37:22.94
I've held evangelistic meeting
after evangelistic meeting.
00:37:22.97\00:37:26.68
And I've had some husband
00:37:31.65\00:37:34.95
or some wife come to me
00:37:34.98\00:37:38.45
and want me to go
00:37:38.49\00:37:40.42
and talk to their spouse,
00:37:40.46\00:37:44.76
to their husband or their wife.
00:37:44.79\00:37:48.36
This husband or this wife
00:37:48.40\00:37:51.30
has never accepted Jesus Christ.
00:37:51.33\00:37:56.97
Why?
00:37:57.01\00:37:59.37
Because that wife
00:37:59.41\00:38:01.04
or that husband was condemning.
00:38:01.08\00:38:06.85
There are many,
many, many spouses
00:38:06.88\00:38:11.85
that are not in the church today
00:38:11.89\00:38:16.02
because their
partner is condemning.
00:38:16.06\00:38:20.20
You cannot
continually be condemning.
00:38:20.23\00:38:23.53
Let me tell you a secret
folks, a person cannot overcome,
00:38:23.57\00:38:29.37
they cannot overcome
00:38:29.40\00:38:31.31
if you continually condemn them.
00:38:31.34\00:38:34.94
It won't work.
00:38:34.98\00:38:37.18
And don't think that Jesus
didn't know what He was doing
00:38:37.21\00:38:39.88
when He said to that woman,
00:38:39.91\00:38:41.28
"Neither do I condemn
you, go your way, sin no more."
00:38:41.32\00:38:45.55
He took the
condemnation off of her,
00:38:45.59\00:38:48.16
then she could overcome.
00:38:48.19\00:38:51.46
If you got a spouse
00:38:51.49\00:38:55.16
that never given
their heart to the Lord,
00:38:55.20\00:38:58.23
the last thing on earth
00:38:58.27\00:39:01.94
you should do is
be condemning of them.
00:39:01.97\00:39:07.18
If you're interested in them,
00:39:07.21\00:39:09.24
giving their heart to the
Lord and serving the Lord,
00:39:09.28\00:39:12.81
then don't,
00:39:12.85\00:39:17.49
don't be critical
00:39:17.52\00:39:20.72
of that individual.
00:39:20.76\00:39:23.19
Be kind, the wisdom
that is from above is, what?
00:39:23.22\00:39:27.76
It's gentle,
00:39:27.80\00:39:30.87
peaceable, yielding.
00:39:30.90\00:39:34.70
That's what God
has asked us to do.
00:39:34.74\00:39:38.87
This is what He wants us to be.
00:39:38.91\00:39:41.58
Well, it's very important
00:39:41.61\00:39:47.75
that you lift the
condemnation off the person,
00:39:47.78\00:39:53.32
the sin off the individual.
00:39:53.36\00:39:55.99
Look at another
text with me here.
00:39:56.02\00:39:58.06
Luke 11:4,
00:39:58.09\00:40:02.90
"And forgive us our," what,
00:40:02.93\00:40:05.77
"sins for we
also forgive everyone
00:40:05.80\00:40:09.10
who is indebted to us."
00:40:09.14\00:40:13.07
Forgive us our sins.
00:40:13.11\00:40:14.58
Now there's a
reason for that, folks.
00:40:14.61\00:40:18.18
It's because a person
can't make progress spiritually
00:40:18.21\00:40:22.68
if they're
burdened down with sin.
00:40:22.72\00:40:26.59
You can't do that.
00:40:26.62\00:40:28.02
You've got to get
the sin off the person,
00:40:28.06\00:40:30.63
lift it off of them.
00:40:30.66\00:40:34.16
When I was a boy growing up,
00:40:34.20\00:40:38.93
my father was very, very
fond of hunting and fishing.
00:40:38.97\00:40:43.41
And so we went hunting,
00:40:43.44\00:40:45.54
and one of the
things that we did was
00:40:45.57\00:40:49.24
went deer hunting in the fall,
00:40:49.28\00:40:52.01
that's something
that we always did.
00:40:52.05\00:40:54.82
We lived out in
the hills of Oklahoma.
00:40:54.85\00:40:59.62
And there where we
lived was an old Indian.
00:40:59.65\00:41:04.99
And he each year,
always went out deer hunting,
00:41:05.03\00:41:08.80
and he always
came back with a deer.
00:41:08.83\00:41:12.03
This one particular year,
00:41:12.07\00:41:14.37
he went out hunting
and he got his deer.
00:41:14.40\00:41:17.87
But he walked
everywhere he went.
00:41:17.91\00:41:20.54
And so he was about 5
miles back in the mountains
00:41:20.58\00:41:24.28
when he shot that deer.
00:41:24.31\00:41:26.85
Didn't have a car.
00:41:26.88\00:41:28.78
Laid the deer on his back
00:41:28.82\00:41:31.02
because you had to
bring the deer into town
00:41:31.05\00:41:34.52
and you had to
weigh it and register it,
00:41:34.56\00:41:36.89
that was required by law.
00:41:36.93\00:41:39.43
And so he laid
the deer on his back,
00:41:39.46\00:41:41.76
carried it the 5
miles back into town,
00:41:41.80\00:41:46.10
hung it on the scale.
00:41:46.13\00:41:48.67
When he hung it on the
scale, it said, 75 pounds.
00:41:48.70\00:41:54.38
And again, warden there
said, "It weighs 75 pounds."
00:41:54.41\00:41:59.51
And the old Indian said,
00:41:59.55\00:42:01.58
"Let it hang their little while,
00:42:01.62\00:42:02.95
it'll get heavier."
00:42:02.98\00:42:05.45
Now that is
very, very true, folks.
00:42:05.49\00:42:11.59
When it comes to sin, the
longer you carry your sin,
00:42:11.63\00:42:16.67
the heavier it gets.
00:42:16.70\00:42:19.10
You see?
00:42:19.13\00:42:20.47
I have to pull it off.
00:42:20.50\00:42:22.30
It's got to be taken away.
00:42:22.34\00:42:23.71
I cannot lay condemnation
on that person over and over
00:42:23.74\00:42:28.34
and expect them
ever, ever to gain.
00:42:28.38\00:42:34.02
So don't condemn people.
00:42:34.05\00:42:36.55
Third point.
00:42:36.58\00:42:39.45
Third point is
simply that mercy,
00:42:39.49\00:42:46.13
that mercy
triumphs over judgment.
00:42:46.16\00:42:52.40
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
00:42:52.43\00:42:57.17
Look at a text with me.
00:42:57.21\00:42:58.81
James 2:13,
00:42:58.84\00:43:02.74
"For judgment is
without mercy to the one
00:43:02.78\00:43:06.08
who has shown no mercy."
00:43:06.11\00:43:09.42
Law...
00:43:09.45\00:43:12.29
Law has no mercy.
00:43:12.32\00:43:16.49
Law is given to condemn.
00:43:16.52\00:43:20.46
So if you're
just going to condemn
00:43:20.50\00:43:23.30
or if you're going to go by law,
00:43:23.33\00:43:27.14
then no, it's
not going be there.
00:43:27.17\00:43:30.91
But it says, the text says,
00:43:30.94\00:43:35.01
"For judgment is without mercy
to one who has shown no mercy."
00:43:35.04\00:43:39.45
But then it says,
00:43:39.48\00:43:41.28
"Mercy triumphs over judgment."
00:43:41.32\00:43:47.49
Now I want to take
you to the sanctuary
00:43:47.52\00:43:50.56
'cause in the sanctuary of old,
00:43:50.59\00:43:52.56
you remember, there was the ark.
00:43:52.59\00:43:55.20
And you remember, in the ark...
00:43:55.23\00:43:59.13
In the ark was law of God.
00:43:59.17\00:44:04.87
The law of God was there.
00:44:04.91\00:44:07.68
And that was there
00:44:07.71\00:44:09.08
to give the people
guidance, direction.
00:44:09.11\00:44:11.45
I need to know the law
00:44:11.48\00:44:12.95
because it gives me
guidance and direction.
00:44:12.98\00:44:16.99
But above the law
was the mercy seat.
00:44:17.02\00:44:23.43
See, that was above the law.
00:44:23.46\00:44:26.76
Dear friend, if
you're going to do
00:44:26.80\00:44:29.16
what Christ wants you to do,
00:44:29.20\00:44:31.93
mercy must be above the law.
00:44:31.97\00:44:38.07
You and I are sinners.
00:44:38.11\00:44:42.88
I don't need condemnation.
00:44:42.91\00:44:47.78
I need mercy.
00:44:47.82\00:44:51.15
And mercy must come above,
00:44:51.19\00:44:53.66
mercy triumphs over judgment.
00:44:53.69\00:44:57.19
So the next time
00:44:57.23\00:44:59.83
somebody has
done something wrong,
00:44:59.86\00:45:04.17
then just remember,
00:45:04.20\00:45:06.70
rather than
casting judgment upon them,
00:45:06.74\00:45:10.54
you need to show them mercy.
00:45:10.57\00:45:14.78
Mercy must triumph
over law or over judgment
00:45:14.81\00:45:21.65
if it's going to be
what God would have it to be.
00:45:21.68\00:45:26.35
Well, I want to read
you another statement
00:45:26.39\00:45:33.23
because I find
people who are critical.
00:45:33.26\00:45:36.73
They always
have something to say
00:45:39.77\00:45:43.81
that is condemning
00:45:43.84\00:45:46.31
or is pushing
down in everything.
00:45:46.34\00:45:51.71
I want you to listen to this.
00:45:51.75\00:45:54.02
"There is no sure way of
weakening spirituality..."
00:45:54.05\00:46:00.59
Okay, get it clear.
00:46:00.62\00:46:01.96
"No sure way of
weakening spirituality
00:46:01.99\00:46:04.96
than by
cherishing envy, suspicion,
00:46:04.99\00:46:10.13
faultfinding,
and evil surmising."
00:46:10.17\00:46:13.07
You hear
something, you hear a rumor.
00:46:16.30\00:46:20.98
And what do I do?
00:46:21.01\00:46:24.08
Just evil surmising.
00:46:24.11\00:46:27.48
No, that's not
what you should do.
00:46:27.52\00:46:32.85
That is not what
God wants us to do.
00:46:32.89\00:46:34.92
"On the other hand,
the strongest witness
00:46:34.96\00:46:39.89
that God has sent
His Son into the world
00:46:39.93\00:46:42.66
is the existence of harmony."
00:46:42.70\00:46:47.50
Are you interested
in Jesus coming back?
00:46:47.54\00:46:49.97
Yeah.
00:46:50.01\00:46:51.34
Are you interested in
the work being finished up?
00:46:51.37\00:46:56.68
Then, dear friend,
00:46:56.71\00:46:58.05
what needs to be done
is we need to have harmony
00:46:58.08\00:47:02.88
and harmony only comes
00:47:02.92\00:47:07.92
if I'm willing to
love my neighbor as myself,
00:47:07.96\00:47:13.06
to esteem others
better than myself,
00:47:13.09\00:47:19.60
to put mercy above judgment.
00:47:19.63\00:47:23.71
Listen as the statement goes on.
00:47:23.74\00:47:26.31
"And union among men
of varied dispositions
00:47:26.34\00:47:31.78
who form His church."
00:47:31.81\00:47:33.58
Now let me make something here
00:47:33.62\00:47:36.02
'cause you have people
of varied dispositions,
00:47:36.05\00:47:42.36
people that
have strong opinions.
00:47:42.39\00:47:47.53
And many, many times
in church leadership,
00:47:47.56\00:47:52.33
we have men of very,
very strong opinions,
00:47:52.37\00:47:59.07
which is not wrong,
00:47:59.11\00:48:02.04
it's not wrong to
have a strong opinion.
00:48:02.08\00:48:05.15
Different dispositions,
that's part of the church.
00:48:08.52\00:48:11.72
That's because
some are the eyes,
00:48:11.75\00:48:13.09
some are the ears, and so forth.
00:48:13.12\00:48:15.86
But listen to this.
00:48:15.89\00:48:17.23
"But in order to do this,
00:48:22.63\00:48:25.30
they must place themselves
under Christ's command."
00:48:25.33\00:48:30.94
If you don't do that,
00:48:30.97\00:48:32.57
you're not going to
have harmony in the church.
00:48:32.61\00:48:35.14
It's not going to be
what God wants it to be.
00:48:35.18\00:48:37.65
I have to put myself
under Christ's command.
00:48:37.68\00:48:44.15
And if I put myself
under Christ's command...
00:48:44.19\00:48:47.69
then I'm going to
love my neighbors myself.
00:48:50.73\00:48:54.26
I'm going to esteem
others better than myself.
00:48:54.30\00:49:00.47
I'm going to place mercy
00:49:00.50\00:49:04.67
above judgment.
00:49:04.71\00:49:08.01
Are you following me?
00:49:08.04\00:49:10.88
This is what we are to be.
00:49:10.91\00:49:13.45
And only as we do this,
00:49:13.48\00:49:16.79
will God bless and use
us in a very special way.
00:49:16.82\00:49:22.46
I just want to
see some hands here.
00:49:27.70\00:49:30.30
How many of you know
what I'm talking about
00:49:30.33\00:49:34.17
if I had to say
straight testimony?
00:49:34.20\00:49:38.21
You know what that term means?
00:49:38.24\00:49:40.04
Quite a few of you.
00:49:40.08\00:49:41.84
People used to use it.
00:49:41.88\00:49:43.91
They say, "Oh,
you got to come back
00:49:43.95\00:49:45.51
to the straight testimony."
00:49:45.55\00:49:47.95
And they were hard,
and they were critical,
00:49:47.98\00:49:50.05
and they criticized,
00:49:50.09\00:49:51.59
and they were always condemning.
00:49:51.62\00:49:54.16
And they thought that
was the straight testimony.
00:49:54.19\00:49:58.33
I want to read you a statement.
00:49:58.36\00:50:00.90
The Lord calls for a revival
00:50:00.93\00:50:03.50
of the straight
testimony born in years past.
00:50:03.53\00:50:08.84
Okay, let's see what
the straight testimony is.
00:50:08.87\00:50:11.71
We need the Pentecostal
energy that will come
00:50:11.74\00:50:17.65
for the Lord has
promised to send His spirit
00:50:17.68\00:50:20.25
as an all conquering
power into the hearts of many
00:50:20.28\00:50:25.29
who have been long in the truth,
00:50:25.32\00:50:27.82
there's entered a
hard judicial spirit.
00:50:27.86\00:50:31.69
They are sharp,
critical, faultfinding.
00:50:31.73\00:50:36.13
They have climbed
upon the judgment seat,
00:50:36.16\00:50:38.47
pronounced sentence
00:50:38.50\00:50:39.83
upon those who do not
conform to their ideas.
00:50:39.87\00:50:43.10
God calls upon them to come down
00:50:43.14\00:50:45.77
and bow before
Him in repentance,
00:50:45.81\00:50:48.48
confessing their sins.
00:50:48.51\00:50:50.21
That's the straight testimony.
00:50:50.25\00:50:53.45
That I have to come down
00:50:53.48\00:50:55.92
and put my life
right with the Lord
00:50:55.95\00:50:59.52
if I'm going to do
what God wants me to do.
00:50:59.55\00:51:01.69
James 5:19,
00:51:06.29\00:51:11.97
"Brethren, if anyone among
you wanders from the truth,
00:51:12.00\00:51:17.01
and someone
turns him back," okay,
00:51:17.04\00:51:22.28
"let him know that
00:51:22.31\00:51:24.51
he who has turned a
sinner from the error of his way
00:51:24.55\00:51:29.48
will save a soul from death
00:51:29.52\00:51:32.69
and cover a multitude of sins."
00:51:32.72\00:51:36.26
I had a friend.
00:51:41.13\00:51:43.67
He passed away a
few years ago now.
00:51:43.70\00:51:45.50
I've told this story before,
00:51:48.57\00:51:51.67
but I never told
this part of his life
00:51:51.71\00:51:55.31
because he was living.
00:51:55.34\00:51:58.85
Since he's passed away,
00:51:58.88\00:52:01.08
I want to tell
something about him.
00:52:01.12\00:52:03.69
He was wild.
00:52:03.72\00:52:06.96
And probably the
wildest individual
00:52:06.99\00:52:08.89
I have ever known.
00:52:08.92\00:52:12.23
Lived a very hard life,
00:52:12.26\00:52:15.26
drank,
00:52:15.30\00:52:17.07
did everything
that you can think of.
00:52:17.10\00:52:21.10
But he was converted,
00:52:21.14\00:52:23.77
gave his heart to the Lord,
00:52:23.81\00:52:26.57
came to work with me.
00:52:26.61\00:52:29.94
And after we had been
working for several months,
00:52:29.98\00:52:34.48
one day he just didn't show up.
00:52:34.52\00:52:38.39
Didn't know what
had happened to him,
00:52:38.42\00:52:39.75
he just vanished almost.
00:52:39.79\00:52:43.29
And day after day went by,
00:52:43.32\00:52:47.30
and Dan wasn't anywhere.
00:52:47.33\00:52:51.87
And then people
began to say to me,
00:52:51.90\00:52:54.14
"You know where Dan is?"
00:52:54.17\00:52:56.97
And I said, "No, I
don't know where Dan is."
00:52:57.01\00:52:58.81
They said he's drunk.
00:52:58.84\00:53:01.41
And I said, "He's what?"
00:53:01.44\00:53:02.78
And they said "He's drunk."
00:53:02.81\00:53:04.61
They said he's
been drunk for days.
00:53:04.65\00:53:06.28
Two weeks passed.
00:53:09.48\00:53:12.45
And after two
weeks, Dan showed up,
00:53:12.49\00:53:18.33
had slept in his
clothes for two weeks.
00:53:18.36\00:53:24.27
Hadn't shaved,
hadn't taken a bath,
00:53:24.30\00:53:28.84
had been absolutely on a
drunk for almost two weeks...
00:53:28.87\00:53:34.54
and came in to my
office and he said to me,
00:53:37.71\00:53:43.42
"You want to
know where I've been?"
00:53:43.45\00:53:46.49
And I said, "No,
I don't want to know
00:53:46.52\00:53:48.89
where you've been."
00:53:48.92\00:53:50.76
He said "You want to
know what I've been doing?"
00:53:50.79\00:53:54.46
And I said, "No,
I don't want to know
00:53:54.50\00:53:56.20
what you've been doing."
00:53:56.23\00:53:59.13
He said, "Well, what
do you want to know?"
00:53:59.17\00:54:03.20
And I said, "I want to
know if you love Jesus?"
00:54:03.24\00:54:08.04
He said, "Yes, I love Jesus."
00:54:08.08\00:54:10.35
I said, "Then go get
yourself cleaned up."
00:54:10.38\00:54:13.98
That was the last,
00:54:14.02\00:54:16.22
never turned back
from that day forward,
00:54:16.25\00:54:20.32
just spent his life
winning souls for Jesus Christ,
00:54:20.36\00:54:25.26
clear the day of his death.
00:54:25.29\00:54:29.00
You see, dear friends,
00:54:29.03\00:54:30.60
you and I are called
to give people mercy,
00:54:30.63\00:54:36.40
called them to find the Lord
00:54:36.44\00:54:39.17
to give their
heart to them, to you.
00:54:39.21\00:54:43.18
You want a sure indication?
00:54:43.21\00:54:46.11
You want a sure
indication that you're saved?
00:54:46.15\00:54:50.12
Let me give you
a sure indication
00:54:50.15\00:54:51.72
that you're saved.
00:54:51.75\00:54:53.36
1 John 3:14,
00:54:53.39\00:54:58.29
"We know that we have
passed from death to life..."
00:54:58.33\00:55:03.53
We've what?
00:55:03.57\00:55:05.23
"We've passed
from death to life,
00:55:05.27\00:55:07.57
because we love the brethren."
00:55:07.60\00:55:12.27
That's the way you
can know if you're saved.
00:55:12.31\00:55:15.21
You've passed from death to life
00:55:15.24\00:55:18.05
if you love the brethren.
00:55:18.08\00:55:21.15
So, dear friend,
00:55:21.18\00:55:22.98
I'm going to call
for change tonight.
00:55:23.02\00:55:26.65
I'm going to ask you here,
I'm going to ask the people
00:55:26.69\00:55:30.66
that are watching by television,
00:55:30.69\00:55:33.66
I'm going to ask you to
make a covenant tonight,
00:55:33.70\00:55:39.53
I'm going to ask you to
make a covenant with God
00:55:39.57\00:55:44.01
that you will say, "I
love my neighbor as myself.
00:55:44.04\00:55:48.48
I'll esteem others
better than myself.
00:55:48.51\00:55:51.71
I'll put mercy
ahead of judgment."
00:55:51.75\00:55:55.88
That you'll make
that covenant with God
00:55:55.92\00:55:58.25
and begin to bring about change
00:55:58.29\00:56:03.29
that you and I
might prepare our hearts
00:56:03.32\00:56:06.66
for the coming of the Lord.
00:56:06.70\00:56:08.83
If you would like to do that,
00:56:08.86\00:56:11.07
you'd like to enter
into a covenant with God.
00:56:11.10\00:56:13.67
I'm going to ask you
to stand on your feet.
00:56:13.70\00:56:15.44
I'm going to ask those people
that are watching by television
00:56:18.47\00:56:23.18
that if you're willing to enter
into a covenant with the Lord
00:56:23.21\00:56:27.25
and say, "Lord, I
won't be critical.
00:56:27.28\00:56:32.65
I won't be faultfinding,
00:56:32.69\00:56:35.76
but I love my
neighbor as myself.
00:56:35.79\00:56:41.10
If you're willing to do that,
wherever you're at tonight,
00:56:41.13\00:56:45.57
just bow your
head with me in prayer.
00:56:45.60\00:56:48.37
Father, we come to
you this evening...
00:56:48.40\00:56:51.57