WEBVTT

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 Thank you for the wonderful music we enjoyed this morning.

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 I told them in the first service, it's just a joy to be here today and to preach at First

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 Baptist Pickens.

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 You won't recall this, but I preached here about 120 years ago, it seems like.

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 Fred had been your pastor for a short period of time and he asked me to come and preach

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 revival and that was many, many, many gray hair ago.

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 So thank you for the opportunity to come and be with you again this morning.

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 I love your pastor, not just because he's my friend, we've been friends for a long time.

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 I say this with every ounce of honesty I can muster this morning.

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 I don't know a man with more integrity, impeccable character and a man of conviction, compassion

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 than Fred Stone.

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 You're just blessed here at First Baptist Pickens to have him as your pastor.

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 If you have your Bibles, turn with me this morning to the book of Exodus chapter 34.

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 I'm going to preach just three verses, verses 6, 7, and 8.

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 And I want to talk this morning about what you need to know about God.

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 What you need to know about God.

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 Let me set the message up for the three verses we're going to read by just giving you a little

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 bit of background.

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 I know probably everyone in this room is pretty familiar with the book of Exodus.

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 You know, I'm sure how it began.

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 They have gone in search of food because of a famine in the land of Canaan.

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 They get there and they discover that Joseph is in charge.

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 And so he invites the entire family to come and to be house guests in Egypt.

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 Their intention is to return to Canaan after the famine is over.

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 But they become very comfortable in the land of Goshen, an area there in Egypt.

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 And Joseph dies.

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 Another Pharaoh comes.

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 And I'm confident that probably several Pharaohs came and went.

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 And suddenly the scripture tells us a Pharaoh arose who knew not Joseph.

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 And when that happened, these people who had been house guests and privileged guests in Egypt

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 suddenly become slaves.

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 And slaves are badly, badly mistreated.

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 If you're a parent, you can just imagine what it would be like to have your baby boy snatched from your arms

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 and immediately taken to the river now and submerged there in the water.

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 And that's what happened.

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 These people were living miserable lives as anyone does who's in slavery.

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 And in chapter two of the book of Exodus, they cry out to God.

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 They say, God, please remember the covenant you established with our father Abraham.

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 God hears their prayer, is moved with compassion, chapter two tells us.

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 And he began to put into place a plan that 80 years later would deliver them from the hands of Pharaoh.

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 He raised up a baby boy who escaped death in the Nile by being raised in Pharaoh's own household.

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 His daughter rescued him from the Nile River.

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 At the age of 40, he killed an Egyptian and had to flee to Midian.

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 There God worked on his heart and character and developed him into the man

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 who was ripe for the job of leading millions of Hebrews out of the land of Egypt.

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 Well, you know the story, right?

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 He comes and ten plagues later, Pharaoh is not only willing for them to leave,

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 he's adamant.

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 You've got to get out of here and do it tonight.

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 And so they flee.

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 They get to the Red Sea.

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 God parts the waters miraculously.

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 Pharaoh has a change of mind and heart.

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 The water is sweeping and crushing his army.

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 And they're off to Mount Sinai.

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 When they come to Mount Sinai, God speaks to Moses and said,

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 Moses, I want to establish another covenant with my people.

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 And the covenant is pretty simple.

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 I'll be their God.

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 They'll be my people.

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 I'll bless them and I'll prosper them, protect them,

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 even as I have to this point in the journey.

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 All I ask is, they have no other gods but me.

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 Moses goes to the people.

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 They immediately agree.

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 And it looks like they're set for smooth sailing.

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 But Moses goes up on Mount Sinai, gets the Ten Commandments,

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 and just as he's ready to come down the mountain,

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 God directs his attention to what's happening below.

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 These people who should have been so grateful to God,

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 who had seen God move in such a miraculous way,

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 instead of following God in the 30 minutes, figuratively speaking,

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 that Moses has been gone,

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 they've already had a change of heart.

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 And they've taken their gold earrings, melted them.

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 He's fashioned a God of gold in the likeness of a calf.

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 And they're bowing and worshiping this God of gold.

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 God strikes 3,000 dead,

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 and others are severely stricken with a plague.

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 And sometime later, God speaks to Moses and says,

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 Moses, I'm willing to forgive them.

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 I'm willing to give them another chance.

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 Come back up on the mountain.

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 I'll re-give you the Ten Commandments.

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 But there's something you need to know about me.

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 And that's going to be the focus of our attention this morning,

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 that message that God delivered to Moses.

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 It's a famous message.

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 In fact, you read these words in the Psalms,

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 in the book of Jonah,

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 and in other places in the scripture,

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 stand with me as we read together.

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 Exodus chapter 34, verse 6, 7, and 8.

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 Then the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed,

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 Yahweh, Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God,

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 slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth,

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 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations,

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 forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin.

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 But he will not leave the guilty unpunished,

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 bringing the consequences of the father's wrongdoing

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 on the children and grandchildren

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 to the third and fourth generation.

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 Would you bow with me this morning

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 as we go to God in prayer?

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 Father, I pray today that these words we have just read

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 would burn in our mind and heart.

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 I pray God that you'd etch them indelibly in our soul.

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 Because Lord, we know that just as surely

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 as Moses and the Hebrews needed to be aware

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 of those things you revealed to Moses about yourself,

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 today we likewise need to live every waking moment

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 completely aware of who you are.

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 So show us this morning.

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 Give us a clearer picture of yourself

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 than maybe some of us have ever had before in our lives.

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 It is our prayer in Jesus' name,

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 and for his sake we pray.

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 Amen.

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 You may be seated.

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 God, in this message to Moses,

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 reveals eight things about himself

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 that I want to draw your attention to this morning.

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 The first thing God says to Moses

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 is, Moses, you and the Hebrew people need to know

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 I am a God of compassion.

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 I am a compassionate God.

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 I am guessing like myself,

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 just about every day that you live,

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 you will pick up a newspaper, a magazine,

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 you will cut on the news in the evening,

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 you will drive your car to work,

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 and you will engage people all throughout the day.

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 And in the course of a day,

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 most of us see not one,

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 but a number of things that concern us.

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 Things that sometimes break our heart.

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 Have you ever gone into a restaurant

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 or you're near a school and you see a child

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 and the child's not clothed properly

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 for weather conditions?

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 Have you ever seen that?

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 You just know this is a neglected child.

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 I know school officials tell us constantly,

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 you hear it on television,

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 that a large portion of children

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 from Friday until Monday,

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 they don't eat properly,

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 they don't have valuable nutritional foods in their home.

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 And you hear that,

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 and it just bothers you

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 because we don't see any child be without food.

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 You cut on your television,

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 you see war-torn areas

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 and children who have been made orphans

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 because of the deaths of their parents.

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 And that breaks your heart.

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 You hear people at work

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 and they tell you about their situation.

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 I was on the phone with a person just two days ago

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 and they were telling me about a sad, sad situation.

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 A mother who had lost her son

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 and had lost her husband

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 in the same week to COVID.

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 And you hear that,

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 just breaks your heart to hear

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 those kinds of stories.

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 You've come to a traffic light at an intersection

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 and there sits a man perhaps in a wheelchair

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 or he's on crutches

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 and he has a sign and he says,

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 I'm homeless,

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 I'm helpless,

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 I'm a veteran of the service

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 and I need help,

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 I'm penniless.

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 And those kinds of things at times,

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 while we know some are scam artists,

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 we know a lot of those folk

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 are just in a horrible, horrible situation

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 and it breaks our heart.

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 In fact, you know what I'm going to guess?

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 Every person this morning in this room

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 has seen something sometime

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 in the last few weeks,

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 in the last few months,

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 that has perhaps even brought you to tears.

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 You've maybe even prayed about it.

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 You said, God, intervene in these people's behalf

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 and help them.

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 And you've cried crocodile tears.

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 But you know the difference in concern and compassion?

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 You can be concerned

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 and you can get emotionally involved

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 and you can shed tears,

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 but you don't have to do a thing.

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 But compassion is different.

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 Harold Songer,

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 who was a theologian at Southern Seminary,

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 decades ago,

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 wrote a book on Colossians

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 and he picked that word compassion

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 from chapter three in the book of Colossians

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 and this is what he said about it.

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 I've never forgotten it.

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 He said,

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 compassion is impossible

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 without involvement.

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 You see,

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 you can't have compassion

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 and see that child

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 or see that adult

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 and say,

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 boy, that's terrible

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 and boy,

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 something ought to be done about that,

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 but do nothing.

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 You can be concerned,

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 but if you have compassion,

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 you have to act

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 in that person's behalf.

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 And that's what God does.

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 In Exodus chapter two,

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 the Lord heard the cries of his people

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 and the scripture says,

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 God acted in compassion.

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 He raised up a man named Moses

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 and through 10 plagues

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 led them out of the land of Egypt.

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 And that's what happened

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 when God saw the sin

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 and the plight of the world

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 because of our sinfulness

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 and sent his son Jesus

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 into our world.

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 And so God is,

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 first of all,

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 a compassionate God.

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 But I want you to notice

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 the second thing about God,

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 and I love this.

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 He says,

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 I am also gracious.

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 Now I want you to think

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 for a minute.

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 What does it mean

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 to be gracious?

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 And don't even think theologically

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 about the word grace

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 for a moment.

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 That obviously is accurate.

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 But just think about someone,

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 a person you know,

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 who is gracious.

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 In fact,

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 if you think about it a minute,

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 you know what I suspect?

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 That most people in this room,

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 you'll get an image

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 of somebody

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 who they're the epitome

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 of graciousness, right?

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 I think of a lady

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 in my first church

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 by the name of Mrs. Edna Poole.

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 She was just the embodiment

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 of sweetness.

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 I mean,

00:11:40.419 --> 00:11:41.720
 she was always kind.

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 She was always making you feel good.

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 She always,

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 nothing ever displeased her.

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 You couldn't do anything wrong

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 in Mrs. Poole's eyes.

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 You know somebody like that?

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 I bet every person in this room

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 has had an experience

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 where someone

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 has shown you grace.

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 A spouse,

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 a child,

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 an employer,

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 an employee,

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 a teacher.

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 My 11th grade teacher

00:12:06.679 --> 00:12:07.699
 in El Paso, Texas

00:12:07.699 --> 00:12:08.759
 who taught me chemistry,

00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:09.839
 Dr. Crawford,

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 he was a gracious,

00:12:11.839 --> 00:12:13.079
 gracious Southern gentleman.

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 You know how I know that?

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 He promised me

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 the last day of class,

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 he said,

00:12:18.459 --> 00:12:19.199
 if you'll promise me

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 you'll never touch chemicals,

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 I'll give you a D plus

00:12:22.199 --> 00:12:22.959
 in this class.

00:12:23.779 --> 00:12:26.299
 I didn't earn that D plus.

00:12:27.100 --> 00:12:28.179
 He gave it to me.

00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:30.279
 It was by his grace

00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:31.240
 and his mercy

00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:33.539
 I got out of chemistry class

00:12:33.539 --> 00:12:34.500
 because I knew nothing

00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:35.220
 about chemistry,

00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:36.759
 but he was a gracious,

00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:37.439
 loving man

00:12:37.439 --> 00:12:38.639
 and knew I was doing the best

00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:39.579
 that I could do

00:12:39.579 --> 00:12:40.539
 under circumstances.

00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:42.100
 Some of you are married

00:12:42.100 --> 00:12:43.419
 to gracious spouses,

00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:43.839
 right?

00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:46.039
 You've lost your cool,

00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:48.620
 you've lost your mind maybe

00:12:48.620 --> 00:12:50.399
 and you've said some things

00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:52.480
 that were just irritable

00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:53.860
 and they were critical

00:12:53.860 --> 00:12:55.419
 and they were mean spirited

00:12:55.419 --> 00:12:56.759
 and you thought to yourself,

00:12:57.199 --> 00:12:59.439
 she or he should never forgive me

00:12:59.439 --> 00:13:00.500
 for what I just said.

00:13:01.139 --> 00:13:02.599
 But they do anyway, right?

00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:05.799
 And that's a form of grace.

00:13:05.980 --> 00:13:06.599
 God says,

00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:09.659
 I am a gracious God.

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:10.840
 Here's a third thing

00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:11.820
 I want you to see about God

00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:12.399
 and boy,

00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:13.279
 you ought to remember this

00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:14.120
 as long as you live.

00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:17.460
 I am slow to anger,

00:13:17.560 --> 00:13:18.800
 he says in verse six.

00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:20.980
 I am slow to anger.

00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:22.060
 You know,

00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:23.420
 if we did a survey this morning

00:13:23.420 --> 00:13:24.360
 what we'd find right here

00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:25.420
 at First Baptist Pickens,

00:13:25.920 --> 00:13:27.139
 there were some of you

00:13:27.139 --> 00:13:27.600
 who were raised

00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:29.879
 in moderate churches

00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:32.539
 and the guy never raised his voice.

00:13:33.439 --> 00:13:34.179
 And some of you

00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:35.080
 maybe were raised

00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:36.279
 in liberal churches

00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:37.720
 where the pastor said

00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:38.919
 God is pretty tolerant

00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:40.939
 and he gave you an image of God

00:13:40.939 --> 00:13:41.759
 that wasn't accurate

00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:42.799
 according to the scriptures.

00:13:43.419 --> 00:13:44.379
 And some of you,

00:13:44.539 --> 00:13:45.039
 like myself,

00:13:45.139 --> 00:13:46.259
 were raised in fundamental

00:13:46.259 --> 00:13:47.840
 very, very conservative churches.

00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:49.600
 And back in my day,

00:13:49.740 --> 00:13:50.820
 and I'm nearly 70,

00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:52.480
 back in my day,

00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:54.120
 if you were conservative,

00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:55.419
 most every preacher

00:13:55.419 --> 00:13:56.220
 was pretty loud

00:13:56.220 --> 00:13:56.799
 when he stood up

00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:57.860
 in the pulpit to preach.

00:13:57.860 --> 00:13:59.000
 In fact,

00:13:59.580 --> 00:14:00.860
 my recollection

00:14:00.860 --> 00:14:02.000
 as a child,

00:14:02.139 --> 00:14:02.659
 it doesn't mean

00:14:02.659 --> 00:14:03.300
 it was accurate.

00:14:03.680 --> 00:14:04.580
 I'm sure those guys

00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:05.120
 were gentle

00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:06.100
 and kind-spirited.

00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:07.039
 But you know

00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:08.080
 how I remember guys

00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:08.940
 in the 60s

00:14:08.940 --> 00:14:09.379
 who preached

00:14:09.379 --> 00:14:10.019
 in conservative

00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:10.820
 fundamental churches?

00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.379
 They always seemed

00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:13.500
 to be mad about something.

00:14:14.180 --> 00:14:14.560
 I mean,

00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:15.899
 they would preach

00:14:15.899 --> 00:14:16.700
 and preach so hard

00:14:16.700 --> 00:14:17.659
 and it didn't matter

00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:18.460
 what the subject matter.

00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:19.360
 They could preach on love

00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:20.100
 but they could do it

00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:21.519
 as though they were mad, right?

00:14:21.700 --> 00:14:22.440
 They were angry.

00:14:22.920 --> 00:14:24.019
 And so I developed

00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:25.080
 an image of God

00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:26.000
 if I'm honest with you

00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:27.399
 and here's my image of God.

00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:29.399
 I saw God

00:14:29.860 --> 00:14:31.399
 as this Western gunslinger

00:14:32.139 --> 00:14:33.620
 and he had two

00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:35.459
 white pearl handled pistols

00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:38.000
 and he had itchy trigger fingers.

00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:38.500
 Have you ever seen

00:14:38.500 --> 00:14:39.360
 the old Westerns?

00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:41.179
 They start doing that motion

00:14:41.179 --> 00:14:41.679
 with their fingers.

00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:41.980
 They're like,

00:14:42.199 --> 00:14:42.699
 go ahead,

00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:43.439
 make my day.

00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:43.819
 Draw it,

00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:45.120
 I'll shoot you dead.

00:14:46.139 --> 00:14:47.459
 I remember the first time

00:14:47.459 --> 00:14:49.039
 I ever used a word of profanity

00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:49.840
 on the playground,

00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:52.039
 I thought for sure

00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:52.799
 a lightning bolt

00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:53.639
 would come out of the heavens

00:14:53.639 --> 00:14:54.740
 and hit me in the top of the head

00:14:54.740 --> 00:14:55.259
 and just kill me

00:14:55.259 --> 00:14:56.279
 right there down the spot.

00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:57.480
 Because I just thought,

00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:57.699
 man,

00:14:57.799 --> 00:14:58.740
 God is looking for me

00:14:58.740 --> 00:14:59.220
 to mess up

00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:01.079
 and the second I mess up,

00:15:01.419 --> 00:15:02.639
 the hammer's gonna fall

00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:03.759
 and I'm gonna be dead

00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:04.399
 as three o'clock

00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:05.000
 in the afternoon.

00:15:05.199 --> 00:15:05.939
 Any of you ever

00:15:05.939 --> 00:15:07.799
 had that kind of image of God?

00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:09.799
 You know what the Bible says?

00:15:10.620 --> 00:15:11.500
 The Bible says,

00:15:11.740 --> 00:15:13.139
 God is not quick

00:15:13.139 --> 00:15:14.199
 to pull the trigger.

00:15:15.459 --> 00:15:16.559
 God says of himself,

00:15:16.839 --> 00:15:18.939
 I am slow to anger.

00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:21.399
 I am long suffering.

00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:22.839
 And you see it

00:15:22.839 --> 00:15:23.399
 in the scriptures.

00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:25.240
 The psalmist often cry out

00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:26.319
 because they've been asking God

00:15:26.319 --> 00:15:26.740
 to help him

00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:27.120
 and he says,

00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:27.439
 God,

00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:28.779
 how long will you go

00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:29.459
 without punishing

00:15:29.459 --> 00:15:30.759
 these evil people,

00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:31.179
 right?

00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:33.159
 We also know it

00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:34.299
 from personal experience.

00:15:34.579 --> 00:15:35.120
 You know I know it

00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:35.860
 from experience

00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:37.399
 because I know

00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:38.500
 how I've lived

00:15:38.500 --> 00:15:40.220
 and if God were quick

00:15:40.220 --> 00:15:40.799
 on the trigger,

00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:41.579
 I'd have been dead

00:15:41.579 --> 00:15:42.419
 a long time ago.

00:15:43.100 --> 00:15:44.039
 And the truth of the matter

00:15:44.039 --> 00:15:44.959
 is I suspect

00:15:44.959 --> 00:15:45.519
 a lot of you

00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:46.059
 in this audience

00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:46.899
 wouldn't be here either,

00:15:46.939 --> 00:15:47.199
 right?

00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:51.180
 So God is slow to anger.

00:15:52.180 --> 00:15:52.740
 Let me show you

00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:53.780
 a fourth thing about God.

00:15:54.420 --> 00:15:55.520
 He says in verse six,

00:15:55.700 --> 00:15:56.840
 the latter part of the verse,

00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:01.580
 I am rich in faithful love.

00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:03.860
 Let's talk about that

00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:04.240
 for a minute.

00:16:04.660 --> 00:16:05.400
 What does it mean

00:16:05.400 --> 00:16:06.840
 to be rich?

00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:09.240
 I'm going to put you on the spot.

00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:10.400
 How many in this room

00:16:10.400 --> 00:16:11.200
 are rich?

00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:12.020
 I mean,

00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:12.740
 you're just filthy,

00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:13.460
 just admit it,

00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:15.200
 you are filthy rich.

00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:16.920
 Anybody here filthy rich?

00:16:17.640 --> 00:16:18.900
 I mean vulgar wealth.

00:16:19.040 --> 00:16:19.920
 Any of you got that?

00:16:20.580 --> 00:16:21.660
 I figured you wouldn't

00:16:21.660 --> 00:16:22.360
 own up to it

00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:23.040
 even if you did.

00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:24.680
 I know one of you

00:16:24.680 --> 00:16:25.060
 doesn't know.

00:16:25.180 --> 00:16:25.620
 I'm just teasing.

00:16:28.060 --> 00:16:29.180
 Let me just tell you though,

00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:30.720
 most of us in this room

00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:32.480
 would say

00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:33.660
 if we were honest,

00:16:34.280 --> 00:16:34.840
 I'm okay.

00:16:35.860 --> 00:16:37.100
 I'm paying my bills,

00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:38.480
 got a little money

00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:39.040
 in the bank,

00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:40.800
 I'm doing all right.

00:16:40.900 --> 00:16:41.960
 I got food on my table,

00:16:42.220 --> 00:16:43.080
 roof over my head,

00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:44.220
 clothes on my back,

00:16:44.520 --> 00:16:45.420
 I'm all right.

00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:47.219
 There would be

00:16:47.219 --> 00:16:47.919
 some of you in here

00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:48.659
 if you were honest,

00:16:48.740 --> 00:16:49.360
 you would say,

00:16:49.599 --> 00:16:51.259
 I'm a little bit in need.

00:16:51.959 --> 00:16:53.199
 I got a little bit more

00:16:53.199 --> 00:16:55.179
 month than money.

00:16:56.519 --> 00:16:57.500
 I think I'll make it

00:16:57.500 --> 00:16:58.839
 but I don't really know how.

00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:00.839
 Some of you

00:17:00.839 --> 00:17:02.219
 are well off.

00:17:03.339 --> 00:17:05.059
 You not only have enough,

00:17:05.379 --> 00:17:06.139
 you can take care

00:17:06.139 --> 00:17:06.859
 of some of your wants

00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:08.420
 as well as some of your needs.

00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:11.079
 And even if you're retired,

00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:12.259
 you see yourself

00:17:12.259 --> 00:17:13.420
 making it to the end

00:17:13.420 --> 00:17:14.840
 without a lot of trouble.

00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:16.340
 But do you have

00:17:16.340 --> 00:17:17.320
 unlimited resources?

00:17:17.660 --> 00:17:18.740
 No, we don't.

00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:20.560
 Even those of us in here

00:17:20.560 --> 00:17:21.400
 who are doing pretty well,

00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:22.759
 we're probably not

00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:23.539
 in that category.

00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:25.940
 To be rich means this.

00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:27.640
 It means you have

00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:28.640
 not only enough,

00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:30.180
 it means you're never

00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:30.920
 going to run out.

00:17:32.100 --> 00:17:32.800
 And you've got

00:17:32.800 --> 00:17:34.080
 not just more than enough,

00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:35.740
 you've got way more than enough.

00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:37.420
 Something catastrophic

00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:37.860
 can happen,

00:17:38.060 --> 00:17:39.480
 you're still good to the end.

00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:41.580
 I doubt there's anyone here

00:17:41.579 --> 00:17:42.779
 this morning in that category.

00:17:42.919 --> 00:17:43.480
 Maybe so.

00:17:44.159 --> 00:17:45.099
 But probably not.

00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:46.799
 How many of you know

00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:48.339
 the name J.K. Rowling?

00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:50.619
 There you go.

00:17:50.659 --> 00:17:51.559
 These young people all do.

00:17:51.679 --> 00:17:52.519
 A lot of you older ones.

00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:54.500
 She's the author

00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:57.159
 of the Harry Potter series.

00:17:58.159 --> 00:17:59.259
 She published those books

00:17:59.259 --> 00:18:00.000
 and went from being

00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.159
 a poor person,

00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:03.199
 lived in a small apartment

00:18:03.199 --> 00:18:03.899
 with her daughter,

00:18:04.299 --> 00:18:05.019
 had divorced,

00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:07.439
 to a very, very wealthy woman.

00:18:07.439 --> 00:18:08.819
 In fact,

00:18:08.939 --> 00:18:09.879
 after those books

00:18:09.879 --> 00:18:10.740
 became movies,

00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:11.660
 it may surprise you

00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:12.240
 to know this,

00:18:13.099 --> 00:18:14.700
 she is the first

00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:17.039
 billionaire author

00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:18.940
 who is female

00:18:18.940 --> 00:18:21.000
 in the history of the world.

00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:23.359
 They had her on a show

00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:24.180
 because she actually

00:18:24.180 --> 00:18:25.220
 went from being very poor,

00:18:25.299 --> 00:18:25.940
 couldn't pay her bills,

00:18:26.019 --> 00:18:27.220
 to very, very, very wealthy,

00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:28.120
 a billionaire.

00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:29.900
 And they asked her,

00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:31.740
 was it a difficult adjustment

00:18:31.740 --> 00:18:32.640
 for you mentally

00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:33.740
 to adjust from having

00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:35.000
 very little to having a lot?

00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:35.720
 And she said,

00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:36.380
 yeah, it was.

00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:37.140
 She said,

00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:37.440
 in fact,

00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:38.319
 I remember the day

00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:39.059
 I turned the corner.

00:18:39.179 --> 00:18:40.779
 I was in a super expensive

00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:42.200
 department store

00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:43.779
 in London

00:18:43.779 --> 00:18:45.619
 and I was looking at purses.

00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:47.179
 This was an extravagant

00:18:47.179 --> 00:18:47.819
 department store

00:18:47.819 --> 00:18:48.299
 and she said,

00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:49.679
 I was looking at purses,

00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:50.319
 all of them,

00:18:50.399 --> 00:18:51.759
 which were a couple thousand

00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:52.659
 dollars and more.

00:18:53.339 --> 00:18:54.039
 And she says,

00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:55.519
 I'm looking at these two purses

00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:56.559
 and I like this one

00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:57.480
 and I like this one.

00:18:58.119 --> 00:18:59.500
 They're just about alike

00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:00.779
 except the color is different

00:19:00.779 --> 00:19:02.339
 and I can't make my mind up.

00:19:02.379 --> 00:19:03.079
 Do I get this one?

00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:03.919
 Do I get that one?

00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:04.720
 And she said,

00:19:04.779 --> 00:19:05.920
 all of a sudden it dawned on me,

00:19:06.019 --> 00:19:07.360
 why are you in a frenzy?

00:19:08.820 --> 00:19:09.980
 You can not only buy

00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:10.820
 this pocketbook

00:19:10.820 --> 00:19:11.920
 or that pocketbook,

00:19:12.380 --> 00:19:13.160
 you can buy the store

00:19:13.160 --> 00:19:13.759
 if you want to.

00:19:14.779 --> 00:19:15.740
 You can buy everything.

00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:16.980
 You're never going

00:19:16.980 --> 00:19:18.039
 to run out of money.

00:19:19.320 --> 00:19:20.120
 That's what it is

00:19:20.120 --> 00:19:20.800
 to be rich.

00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:23.240
 God says,

00:19:24.340 --> 00:19:24.620
 Moses,

00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:25.580
 you need to understand

00:19:25.580 --> 00:19:27.180
 I am rich

00:19:27.180 --> 00:19:28.800
 in love.

00:19:29.360 --> 00:19:30.400
 I like that song

00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:31.759
 that Brother Hester wrote

00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:32.220
 this gentleman

00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:33.420
 saying a moment ago,

00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:35.920
 about God's love for us.

00:19:36.580 --> 00:19:37.740
 God is rich

00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:38.920
 in love,

00:19:38.980 --> 00:19:39.320
 isn't he?

00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:40.820
 It's never going

00:19:40.820 --> 00:19:41.340
 to run out.

00:19:41.600 --> 00:19:42.320
 Let me tell you something.

00:19:42.620 --> 00:19:43.360
 If you've never

00:19:43.360 --> 00:19:45.039
 come to understand this

00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:45.680
 and you can

00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:48.279
 put this in your mind

00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:48.640
 and heart

00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:49.620
 and really believe it,

00:19:49.700 --> 00:19:50.300
 cling to it,

00:19:50.600 --> 00:19:52.019
 it'll change how you live.

00:19:52.580 --> 00:19:53.560
 There is nothing

00:19:53.560 --> 00:19:54.680
 you can do today,

00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:55.860
 not one thing

00:19:55.860 --> 00:19:56.960
 you can do today

00:19:56.960 --> 00:19:58.779
 that will make God

00:19:58.779 --> 00:19:59.460
 love you

00:19:59.460 --> 00:19:59.960
 any more

00:19:59.960 --> 00:20:00.960
 than he already does.

00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:02.880
 And there's nothing

00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:03.820
 you can do today

00:20:03.819 --> 00:20:05.319
 that will make

00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:06.099
 God love you

00:20:06.099 --> 00:20:07.139
 any less

00:20:07.139 --> 00:20:09.759
 than he already

00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:10.720
 does.

00:20:11.619 --> 00:20:12.500
 The scripture says

00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:13.839
 in Romans 5, 8,

00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:15.539
 but God demonstrates

00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:16.599
 his love toward us

00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:17.359
 in that while

00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:18.839
 we were yet sinners,

00:20:19.659 --> 00:20:20.539
 enemies of God,

00:20:21.399 --> 00:20:23.019
 Christ died

00:20:23.019 --> 00:20:24.220
 for us.

00:20:25.099 --> 00:20:26.019
 Isn't that an overwhelming

00:20:26.019 --> 00:20:27.019
 statement to think about?

00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:28.319
 We say that so often

00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:28.659
 in church,

00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:29.679
 I'm afraid it doesn't even

00:20:29.679 --> 00:20:30.579
 ring in our minds

00:20:30.579 --> 00:20:31.480
 what that really means.

00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:32.880
 Let me illustrate

00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:33.460
 it for you.

00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:35.000
 Suppose I ask you

00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:35.799
 right now to take out

00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:36.360
 a sheet of paper

00:20:36.360 --> 00:20:36.799
 and a pencil

00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:37.420
 and I said,

00:20:37.860 --> 00:20:38.380
 here's what I want

00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:38.740
 you to do with

00:20:38.740 --> 00:20:39.420
 nobody looking,

00:20:39.620 --> 00:20:40.660
 move apart a little bit

00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:41.839
 and with nobody looking,

00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:42.620
 I want you to put

00:20:42.620 --> 00:20:43.519
 the names on a sheet

00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:44.779
 of paper of every

00:20:44.779 --> 00:20:46.000
 person you know

00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:48.200
 today for whom

00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:48.720
 you would be

00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.640
 willing to die

00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:50.660
 if you had to.

00:20:52.339 --> 00:20:53.059
 You know what I

00:20:53.059 --> 00:20:53.799
 believe about you?

00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:56.019
 I don't think

00:20:56.019 --> 00:20:56.700
 there's a person

00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:57.360
 in the room

00:20:57.359 --> 00:20:58.839
 that probably

00:20:58.839 --> 00:20:59.599
 wouldn't have

00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:00.799
 at least one name

00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:01.279
 on that sheet

00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:01.679
 of paper.

00:21:02.819 --> 00:21:03.240
 In fact,

00:21:03.339 --> 00:21:04.199
 my guess is

00:21:04.199 --> 00:21:05.079
 you'd surprise

00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:05.699
 yourself.

00:21:06.639 --> 00:21:07.279
 My guess is

00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:07.859
 when you got to

00:21:07.859 --> 00:21:08.379
 really thinking

00:21:08.379 --> 00:21:08.819
 about it,

00:21:09.240 --> 00:21:09.819
 you would be

00:21:09.819 --> 00:21:11.199
 amazed about

00:21:11.199 --> 00:21:12.699
 how many people

00:21:12.699 --> 00:21:13.519
 you would be

00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:14.299
 willing to give

00:21:14.299 --> 00:21:15.159
 your life for

00:21:15.159 --> 00:21:15.779
 today

00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:17.539
 if you had to.

00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:19.579
 But let me ask

00:21:19.579 --> 00:21:20.500
 you a second question.

00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:22.819
 On that same

00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:23.719
 sheet of paper now,

00:21:24.139 --> 00:21:24.959
 flip it over

00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:26.180
 and put the names

00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:27.180
 of those people,

00:21:27.720 --> 00:21:28.380
 you would be

00:21:28.380 --> 00:21:29.279
 willing for your

00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.220
 son or your

00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:32.140
 daughter to die

00:21:32.140 --> 00:21:32.480
 for.

00:21:34.100 --> 00:21:35.000
 And I'm going to

00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:36.140
 also venture a guess.

00:21:36.740 --> 00:21:37.519
 You can't think

00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:38.400
 of a single name.

00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:41.160
 There's not a person

00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:42.100
 alive you would

00:21:42.100 --> 00:21:42.940
 let your son or

00:21:42.940 --> 00:21:43.039
 daughter,

00:21:43.059 --> 00:21:43.840
 you'd die for

00:21:43.840 --> 00:21:44.240
 plenty.

00:21:45.340 --> 00:21:45.880
 You wouldn't let

00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:46.600
 your son or daughter

00:21:46.600 --> 00:21:47.799
 die for any.

00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:50.440
 My friend,

00:21:50.819 --> 00:21:52.500
 Isaiah tells us

00:21:52.500 --> 00:21:54.380
 in Isaiah 53,

00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:56.700
 it pleased God

00:21:56.700 --> 00:21:57.420
 to bruise his

00:21:57.420 --> 00:21:58.460
 son for us.

00:21:59.579 --> 00:22:00.120
 One of the most

00:22:00.120 --> 00:22:01.039
 mysterious verses

00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:01.500
 in the Bible.

00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:02.240
 I can't get my

00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:02.880
 head around that.

00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:04.360
 It pleased God

00:22:04.360 --> 00:22:05.000
 to bruise his

00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:06.420
 son in our

00:22:06.420 --> 00:22:06.759
 stead.

00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:08.480
 And then

00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:08.940
 fifthly,

00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:09.660
 he goes on to

00:22:09.660 --> 00:22:09.900
 say,

00:22:10.299 --> 00:22:11.400
 I am also rich

00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:13.279
 in truth.

00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:15.579
 I am also rich

00:22:15.579 --> 00:22:16.519
 in truth.

00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:17.880
 1 John 1,

00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:18.539
 5 says,

00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:19.620
 God is light

00:22:19.620 --> 00:22:20.579
 and in him

00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:22.059
 is no darkness.

00:22:22.420 --> 00:22:23.079
 That's how it

00:22:23.079 --> 00:22:23.900
 reads in the

00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:24.500
 English text.

00:22:24.500 --> 00:22:25.160
 If you look it

00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:25.500
 up in your

00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:25.839
 Bible,

00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:26.940
 you know how

00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:27.359
 it reads in

00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:27.940
 the Greek text?

00:22:28.099 --> 00:22:28.700
 There's only one

00:22:28.700 --> 00:22:29.359
 word difference.

00:22:30.019 --> 00:22:30.460
 Here's what it

00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:30.980
 says if you

00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:31.920
 transliterate that.

00:22:32.019 --> 00:22:32.400
 It says,

00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:34.319
 God is light

00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:36.240
 and in him

00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:37.539
 is no,

00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:38.880
 none,

00:22:39.619 --> 00:22:39.980
 darkness

00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:41.400
 at all.

00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:42.500
 Now you

00:22:42.500 --> 00:22:43.220
 English teachers

00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:44.019
 are having a fit

00:22:44.019 --> 00:22:44.460
 right now,

00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:44.779
 right?

00:22:45.480 --> 00:22:46.400
 You can't say

00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:46.680
 no,

00:22:46.779 --> 00:22:47.180
 none.

00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:48.500
 It's a double

00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:48.960
 negative.

00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.660
 But in Greek,

00:22:50.859 --> 00:22:51.480
 it's acceptable

00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:52.220
 and it's

00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:53.360
 because it's

00:22:53.360 --> 00:22:53.900
 used for

00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:54.360
 emphasis.

00:22:54.900 --> 00:22:55.420
 In other words,

00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.019
 what John is

00:22:56.019 --> 00:22:56.599
 saying is this.

00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:57.039
 Listen,

00:22:57.599 --> 00:22:58.799
 I knew Jesus.

00:22:59.000 --> 00:22:59.720
 I walked to

00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:00.039
 Jesus.

00:23:00.259 --> 00:23:01.059
 I touched

00:23:01.059 --> 00:23:01.500
 Jesus.

00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:02.559
 I fellowshiped

00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:02.960
 with Jesus.

00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:03.460
 And I'm telling

00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:03.960
 you this,

00:23:04.360 --> 00:23:05.460
 if you examine

00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:06.319
 his character,

00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:07.440
 every inch of

00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:07.920
 his character,

00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:08.940
 every inch of

00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:09.299
 his being,

00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:10.500
 there is not a

00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:11.759
 trace of darkness

00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:12.660
 in him

00:23:12.660 --> 00:23:13.640
 anywhere.

00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:15.279
 Isn't that

00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:15.680
 remarkable?

00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:17.740
 How many

00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:18.240
 times do you

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:18.600
 think you

00:23:18.600 --> 00:23:19.180
 sin a day?

00:23:19.960 --> 00:23:20.180
 You ever

00:23:20.180 --> 00:23:20.560
 thought about

00:23:20.560 --> 00:23:20.820
 that?

00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:22.060
 I don't know

00:23:22.060 --> 00:23:22.600
 about you,

00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:23.019
 but I can get

00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:23.539
 behind slow

00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:24.240
 traffic and sin

00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:24.840
 three times

00:23:24.840 --> 00:23:25.340
 before I get

00:23:25.340 --> 00:23:25.880
 to the office

00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:26.240
 in the morning,

00:23:26.299 --> 00:23:26.500
 right?

00:23:28.620 --> 00:23:29.019
 God,

00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.080
 in all of

00:23:30.080 --> 00:23:30.880
 his existence,

00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:32.640
 in all of

00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:33.140
 eternity,

00:23:34.180 --> 00:23:35.279
 has never had

00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:36.120
 an evil thought,

00:23:36.220 --> 00:23:37.100
 has never spoken

00:23:37.100 --> 00:23:37.960
 an evil word,

00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:39.380
 has never done

00:23:39.380 --> 00:23:41.080
 anything of an

00:23:41.080 --> 00:23:42.380
 evil nature.

00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:44.200
 He's perfect.

00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:45.940
 He's so unlike

00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:46.400
 us.

00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:47.160
 He's perfect.

00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:47.620
 So he says,

00:23:47.700 --> 00:23:47.960
 Moses,

00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:48.920
 you need to be

00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:49.380
 aware.

00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:51.720
 I am rich

00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:53.480
 in truth.

00:23:53.860 --> 00:23:54.259
 Now how's that

00:23:54.259 --> 00:23:54.660
 going to play

00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:54.860
 out?

00:23:55.380 --> 00:23:56.059
 It means he's

00:23:56.059 --> 00:23:56.420
 going to be

00:23:56.420 --> 00:23:57.340
 holy like you

00:23:57.340 --> 00:23:57.860
 and I cannot

00:23:57.860 --> 00:23:58.980
 imagine holiness.

00:24:00.200 --> 00:24:01.279
 It means he's

00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:01.600
 going to be

00:24:01.600 --> 00:24:02.220
 just and we'll

00:24:02.220 --> 00:24:02.799
 talk more about

00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:03.480
 that in just a

00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:03.740
 moment.

00:24:05.360 --> 00:24:06.140
 And then there's

00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:07.080
 a sixth thing

00:24:07.080 --> 00:24:07.620
 he says.

00:24:08.360 --> 00:24:08.980
 He maintains

00:24:08.980 --> 00:24:10.100
 faithful love to

00:24:10.100 --> 00:24:10.880
 a thousand

00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.299
 generations,

00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:13.100
 verse seven.

00:24:14.200 --> 00:24:15.240
 It's one thing

00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:16.120
 to love somebody.

00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:16.779
 It's another

00:24:16.779 --> 00:24:18.200
 thing to maintain

00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:19.920
 love for somebody.

00:24:20.340 --> 00:24:21.000
 Let's just be

00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:21.380
 honest.

00:24:21.600 --> 00:24:22.200
 I don't want to

00:24:22.200 --> 00:24:22.819
 show a hand or

00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:23.500
 shake a head.

00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:24.319
 Have you ever

00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:24.900
 met anybody that

00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:25.480
 you loved them

00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:25.940
 when you first

00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:26.420
 met them but

00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:27.019
 five minutes

00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:27.319
 later,

00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:28.400
 no,

00:24:28.519 --> 00:24:29.259
 not so much.

00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:33.059
 Some people,

00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:33.779
 a little bit

00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:34.480
 up go a long

00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:34.880
 ways,

00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:35.180
 right?

00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:37.680
 And you can

00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:38.019
 take them in

00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:38.860
 small doses but

00:24:38.860 --> 00:24:40.299
 not major chunks

00:24:40.299 --> 00:24:40.860
 of time at a

00:24:40.860 --> 00:24:41.200
 time,

00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:41.600
 right?

00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:44.000
 We like to

00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:45.519
 love on a

00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:46.539
 seasonal basis.

00:24:47.539 --> 00:24:48.079
 If you're good

00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:48.359
 to me,

00:24:48.399 --> 00:24:48.939
 you do what I

00:24:48.939 --> 00:24:49.339
 say,

00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:50.539
 you act in

00:24:50.539 --> 00:24:50.980
 accordance with

00:24:50.980 --> 00:24:51.419
 my will,

00:24:51.500 --> 00:24:52.419
 then I like

00:24:52.419 --> 00:24:52.579
 you.

00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:53.819
 But you

00:24:53.819 --> 00:24:54.179
 don't,

00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:55.299
 man,

00:24:55.339 --> 00:24:55.740
 you'll be the

00:24:55.740 --> 00:24:56.259
 flavor of the

00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:56.639
 month.

00:24:58.219 --> 00:24:59.039
 Pastors have

00:24:59.039 --> 00:24:59.619
 found that out

00:24:59.619 --> 00:25:00.279
 a lot of times.

00:25:01.099 --> 00:25:01.639
 When I first

00:25:01.639 --> 00:25:02.339
 started pastoring,

00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:03.079
 I had an older

00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:03.759
 pastor come to

00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:04.339
 me and he just

00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:04.579
 said,

00:25:04.899 --> 00:25:05.480
 can I give you a

00:25:05.480 --> 00:25:06.059
 tip on something,

00:25:06.179 --> 00:25:06.299
 buddy?

00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:07.299
 I was about 25

00:25:07.299 --> 00:25:07.980
 years of age,

00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:08.539
 fresh out of

00:25:08.539 --> 00:25:08.899
 seminary.

00:25:09.399 --> 00:25:09.659
 I said,

00:25:09.719 --> 00:25:10.240
 what's that?

00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:11.460
 He said,

00:25:11.539 --> 00:25:12.220
 be careful about

00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:12.720
 the guy who

00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:13.420
 helps move your

00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:14.259
 furniture into the

00:25:14.259 --> 00:25:14.779
 pastoring.

00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:15.960
 He'll be the

00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:16.420
 first guy to

00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:16.960
 help you move

00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:17.400
 it out.

00:25:19.220 --> 00:25:20.059
 In other words,

00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:21.200
 people can turn

00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:21.660
 on you pretty

00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:22.120
 quick.

00:25:23.059 --> 00:25:23.960
 When I pastored

00:25:23.960 --> 00:25:24.339
 in St.

00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:24.460
 Central,

00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:25.099
 North Carolina,

00:25:25.660 --> 00:25:26.440
 there was a

00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:27.240
 man who had

00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:28.140
 served before me

00:25:28.140 --> 00:25:29.099
 who had just

00:25:29.099 --> 00:25:29.960
 had a heart of

00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:30.720
 courage and

00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:31.079
 great,

00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:31.680
 great man of

00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:31.900
 God.

00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:32.660
 When he was

00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:33.220
 unpopular,

00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:33.980
 he opened the

00:25:33.980 --> 00:25:34.500
 doors of our

00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:35.160
 church to all

00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:35.620
 races.

00:25:36.519 --> 00:25:36.819
 And boy,

00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:37.740
 there were folks

00:25:37.740 --> 00:25:38.519
 who got mad about

00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:39.319
 this one lady in

00:25:39.319 --> 00:25:39.599
 particular.

00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:40.159
 She wrote him

00:25:40.159 --> 00:25:40.859
 hate mail.

00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:41.539
 She wrote

00:25:41.539 --> 00:25:42.319
 editorials in the

00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:42.519
 paper.

00:25:42.779 --> 00:25:43.379
 She did everything

00:25:43.379 --> 00:25:44.059
 she could to make

00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:44.899
 his life miserable

00:25:44.899 --> 00:25:46.339
 before she finally

00:25:46.339 --> 00:25:47.240
 up and left the

00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:47.619
 church.

00:25:48.679 --> 00:25:49.659
 I came as the

00:25:49.659 --> 00:25:50.259
 next pastor.

00:25:50.819 --> 00:25:51.539
 All that was

00:25:51.539 --> 00:25:52.459
 history now was

00:25:52.459 --> 00:25:53.259
 all behind us.

00:25:53.719 --> 00:25:54.899
 Church had a good,

00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:56.159
 healthy relationship

00:25:56.159 --> 00:25:57.179
 to all the races

00:25:57.179 --> 00:25:57.980
 and everything's

00:25:57.980 --> 00:25:58.619
 found no longer

00:25:58.619 --> 00:25:59.000
 issue.

00:26:00.299 --> 00:26:01.299
 This lady came

00:26:01.299 --> 00:26:01.799
 back to our

00:26:01.799 --> 00:26:02.199
 church.

00:26:03.139 --> 00:26:04.219
 She sat there

00:26:04.219 --> 00:26:05.139
 for a few weeks

00:26:05.140 --> 00:26:06.920
 and then she

00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:07.580
 came and said,

00:26:07.900 --> 00:26:08.500
 I think I'd like

00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:09.040
 to come and

00:26:09.040 --> 00:26:09.920
 join the church.

00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:10.800
 One of the

00:26:10.800 --> 00:26:11.720
 deacons overheard

00:26:11.720 --> 00:26:11.880
 her.

00:26:12.320 --> 00:26:12.820
 And he came to

00:26:12.820 --> 00:26:13.000
 him and he

00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:13.100
 said,

00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:13.380
 Pastor,

00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:13.940
 I'm not telling

00:26:13.940 --> 00:26:14.360
 you not to

00:26:14.360 --> 00:26:14.840
 let her join,

00:26:14.940 --> 00:26:15.280
 but I want to

00:26:15.280 --> 00:26:15.780
 tell you something.

00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:16.840
 You better be

00:26:16.840 --> 00:26:17.620
 careful about her.

00:26:18.520 --> 00:26:18.880
 Says,

00:26:19.120 --> 00:26:19.580
 you'll be the

00:26:19.580 --> 00:26:20.060
 flavor of the

00:26:20.060 --> 00:26:20.540
 month if you're

00:26:20.540 --> 00:26:21.040
 not careful.

00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:22.560
 And he told me

00:26:22.560 --> 00:26:23.180
 all that happened

00:26:23.180 --> 00:26:23.580
 to the former

00:26:23.580 --> 00:26:23.940
 pastor.

00:26:24.200 --> 00:26:24.660
 So I was

00:26:24.660 --> 00:26:25.360
 guarded with her.

00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:25.980
 Well, she kept

00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:26.620
 coming and guess

00:26:26.620 --> 00:26:26.940
 what?

00:26:27.240 --> 00:26:27.900
 Over a period of a

00:26:27.900 --> 00:26:28.280
 couple months,

00:26:28.360 --> 00:26:28.980
 she joined.

00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:32.259
 She just loved

00:26:32.259 --> 00:26:33.099
 me and my wife

00:26:33.099 --> 00:26:33.740
 to death.

00:26:34.420 --> 00:26:35.319
 Every time she

00:26:35.319 --> 00:26:35.980
 had a party at

00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:37.079
 her house, we

00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:37.559
 were the honored

00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:38.079
 guests.

00:26:38.579 --> 00:26:39.079
 I was going to

00:26:39.079 --> 00:26:39.559
 be the next

00:26:39.559 --> 00:26:40.240
 Billy Graham.

00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:40.920
 I was the

00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:41.380
 greatest thing

00:26:41.380 --> 00:26:41.980
 since last

00:26:41.980 --> 00:26:42.299
 spread.

00:26:42.620 --> 00:26:43.599
 She hugged me

00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:44.380
 and loved on

00:26:44.380 --> 00:26:45.579
 me until one

00:26:45.579 --> 00:26:46.019
 day, about a

00:26:46.019 --> 00:26:46.460
 year and a half

00:26:46.460 --> 00:26:47.360
 later, I came to

00:26:47.360 --> 00:26:47.740
 the church and

00:26:47.740 --> 00:26:48.160
 said, you know

00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:48.420
 what?

00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:50.079
 I think if the

00:26:50.079 --> 00:26:50.599
 church is going

00:26:50.599 --> 00:26:51.519
 to continue to

00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:52.660
 grow, we need

00:26:52.660 --> 00:26:53.519
 to relocate.

00:26:54.380 --> 00:26:55.420
 I became the

00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:56.299
 voice piece of

00:26:56.299 --> 00:26:57.000
 Satan himself.

00:26:58.000 --> 00:26:58.960
 She hated my

00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:00.640
 guts, turned on

00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:01.779
 me just like

00:27:01.779 --> 00:27:02.140
 that.

00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:03.600
 The last Sunday

00:27:03.600 --> 00:27:04.360
 she was at our

00:27:04.360 --> 00:27:05.640
 church, she sat

00:27:05.640 --> 00:27:06.940
 according to that

00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:07.799
 building right here

00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:08.539
 on the front row.

00:27:09.059 --> 00:27:09.840
 She came in with

00:27:09.840 --> 00:27:11.440
 a bag from a

00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:12.279
 grocery store,

00:27:12.460 --> 00:27:12.920
 didn't know what

00:27:12.920 --> 00:27:13.340
 was in it,

00:27:13.500 --> 00:27:14.079
 shoved it under

00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:14.819
 the first pew,

00:27:15.620 --> 00:27:16.340
 sat through the

00:27:16.340 --> 00:27:17.400
 whole song service,

00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:18.740
 participated when

00:27:18.740 --> 00:27:19.380
 it got time for

00:27:19.380 --> 00:27:20.039
 the message and I

00:27:20.039 --> 00:27:20.480
 stood up to

00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:20.740
 preach.

00:27:21.140 --> 00:27:21.720
 She reaches

00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:22.140
 on the pew,

00:27:22.259 --> 00:27:22.799
 pulls out the

00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:23.420
 grocery bag,

00:27:23.660 --> 00:27:24.259
 sits it up on

00:27:24.259 --> 00:27:24.819
 the pew beside

00:27:24.819 --> 00:27:25.900
 her, pulls out

00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:27.120
 yarn and some

00:27:27.120 --> 00:27:28.140
 sewing needles,

00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:29.560
 and begins to

00:27:29.560 --> 00:27:30.240
 yarn while I

00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:30.700
 preach.

00:27:31.820 --> 00:27:32.800
 Broke my heart,

00:27:32.940 --> 00:27:33.620
 tore me up.

00:27:34.060 --> 00:27:34.780
 I had a hard

00:27:34.780 --> 00:27:35.280
 time getting

00:27:35.280 --> 00:27:35.660
 through that

00:27:35.660 --> 00:27:36.080
 message.

00:27:36.820 --> 00:27:37.400
 Thankfully, she

00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:38.120
 left that day,

00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:39.820
 never came back.

00:27:40.860 --> 00:27:41.280
 But I want to

00:27:41.280 --> 00:27:41.820
 tell you something.

00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:43.680
 God says I'm not

00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:44.300
 like that.

00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:46.140
 I don't love you

00:27:46.140 --> 00:27:46.920
 when you're good.

00:27:47.780 --> 00:27:49.060
 I love you all

00:27:49.060 --> 00:27:49.560
 the time.

00:27:50.620 --> 00:27:52.100
 365 days a year,

00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:53.320
 throughout all

00:27:53.320 --> 00:27:54.660
 eternity, I

00:27:54.660 --> 00:27:55.600
 maintain faithful

00:27:55.600 --> 00:27:56.640
 love to a thousand

00:27:56.640 --> 00:27:57.460
 generations.

00:27:58.620 --> 00:27:59.420
 There's a seventh

00:27:59.420 --> 00:28:00.000
 thing I want you

00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:00.860
 to see, and boy,

00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:01.240
 you're going to

00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:01.900
 love this.

00:28:02.780 --> 00:28:03.980
 He says, I

00:28:03.980 --> 00:28:05.100
 forgive wrongdoing,

00:28:05.340 --> 00:28:06.500
 rebellion, and

00:28:06.500 --> 00:28:07.820
 sin, in verse

00:28:07.820 --> 00:28:08.460
 7b.

00:28:09.180 --> 00:28:10.860
 I forgive wrongdoing,

00:28:11.060 --> 00:28:11.940
 rebellion, and

00:28:11.940 --> 00:28:12.320
 sin.

00:28:13.400 --> 00:28:14.080
 Now let's just be

00:28:14.080 --> 00:28:14.480
 straight.

00:28:14.580 --> 00:28:15.280
 I am going to ask

00:28:15.280 --> 00:28:15.820
 you to raise your

00:28:15.820 --> 00:28:16.080
 hand.

00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:16.820
 We'll see how

00:28:16.820 --> 00:28:17.680
 transparent you can

00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:17.880
 be.

00:28:19.040 --> 00:28:19.820
 Any of you here

00:28:19.820 --> 00:28:20.680
 ever been guilty

00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:21.360
 of wrongdoing?

00:28:22.520 --> 00:28:23.140
 Raise your hand

00:28:23.140 --> 00:28:23.420
 high.

00:28:23.420 --> 00:28:23.480
 Yeah.

00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:23.920
 Yeah.

00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:26.220
 I hope everybody

00:28:26.220 --> 00:28:26.720
 in the room's got

00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:27.279
 your hand up.

00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:28.720
 You just did

00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:29.160
 something else

00:28:29.160 --> 00:28:29.460
 wrong.

00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:32.539
 Anybody ever

00:28:32.539 --> 00:28:33.039
 rebelled?

00:28:35.779 --> 00:28:36.480
 Now you know

00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:37.000
 what rebellion

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:37.640
 means, don't

00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:37.759
 you?

00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:39.079
 Rebellion doesn't

00:28:39.079 --> 00:28:39.620
 mean you made a

00:28:39.620 --> 00:28:40.099
 mistake.

00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:40.700
 That's what we,

00:28:40.779 --> 00:28:41.920
 I made a mistake.

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:43.099
 No you didn't.

00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:43.819
 You rebelled.

00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:46.440
 Rebelling means I

00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:47.579
 know what to do,

00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:48.819
 I'm not going to

00:28:48.819 --> 00:28:49.279
 do it.

00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:51.700
 I deliberately,

00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:52.640
 willfully say,

00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:53.620
 I'm going in

00:28:53.620 --> 00:28:54.020
 this direction.

00:28:54.100 --> 00:28:54.460
 You want me to

00:28:54.460 --> 00:28:54.780
 go in that

00:28:54.780 --> 00:28:55.080
 direction?

00:28:55.220 --> 00:28:55.740
 I'm going in

00:28:55.740 --> 00:28:56.380
 this direction.

00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:57.820
 That's the

00:28:57.820 --> 00:28:58.280
 difference in

00:28:58.280 --> 00:28:58.820
 just messing

00:28:58.820 --> 00:28:59.280
 up, isn't

00:28:59.280 --> 00:28:59.440
 it?

00:29:00.040 --> 00:29:00.840
 That's willfully,

00:29:00.980 --> 00:29:01.400
 deliberately

00:29:01.400 --> 00:29:02.040
 singing it

00:29:02.040 --> 00:29:02.920
 against God.

00:29:03.420 --> 00:29:03.860
 He says,

00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:04.520
 I forgive

00:29:04.520 --> 00:29:05.000
 wrongdoing,

00:29:05.160 --> 00:29:06.040
 I forgive

00:29:06.040 --> 00:29:06.620
 rebellion,

00:29:06.840 --> 00:29:07.700
 I forgive

00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:08.480
 sin.

00:29:09.580 --> 00:29:09.880
 You know

00:29:09.880 --> 00:29:10.160
 why that's

00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:10.620
 good news

00:29:10.620 --> 00:29:10.900
 for us?

00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:11.780
 Because every

00:29:11.780 --> 00:29:12.259
 one of us

00:29:12.259 --> 00:29:12.759
 in this room

00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:13.580
 are sinners.

00:29:15.020 --> 00:29:15.620
 For every

00:29:15.620 --> 00:29:16.160
 one person

00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:16.520
 that's ever

00:29:16.520 --> 00:29:17.080
 been born

00:29:17.080 --> 00:29:17.960
 save Jesus,

00:29:18.200 --> 00:29:19.160
 all have

00:29:19.160 --> 00:29:20.200
 sinned and

00:29:20.200 --> 00:29:20.740
 come short

00:29:20.740 --> 00:29:21.120
 of the glory

00:29:21.120 --> 00:29:21.480
 of God.

00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:22.120
 There's none

00:29:22.120 --> 00:29:22.519
 righteous,

00:29:22.660 --> 00:29:23.360
 no not one.

00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:24.579
 Isaiah 53,

00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:25.240
 6 says,

00:29:25.579 --> 00:29:25.720
 Oh,

00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:26.400
 we like sheep

00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:26.720
 have gone

00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:27.000
 astray.

00:29:27.099 --> 00:29:27.420
 Listen to

00:29:27.420 --> 00:29:27.559
 this.

00:29:27.839 --> 00:29:28.120
 We have

00:29:28.120 --> 00:29:28.559
 each one

00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:28.980
 turned to

00:29:28.980 --> 00:29:29.380
 his own

00:29:29.380 --> 00:29:29.720
 way.

00:29:30.539 --> 00:29:30.779
 Remember

00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:31.279
 that song

00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:31.980
 Frank Sinatra

00:29:31.980 --> 00:29:32.880
 made popular,

00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:33.380
 I did it

00:29:33.380 --> 00:29:33.860
 my way?

00:29:34.700 --> 00:29:35.240
 That's the

00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:35.599
 problem with

00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:35.839
 sin.

00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:37.200
 We want to

00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:37.779
 do it our

00:29:37.779 --> 00:29:38.500
 way instead

00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:39.140
 of God's

00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:39.400
 way.

00:29:40.099 --> 00:29:40.500
 But God

00:29:40.500 --> 00:29:40.759
 says,

00:29:40.860 --> 00:29:41.160
 Moses,

00:29:41.360 --> 00:29:41.720
 understand

00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:42.259
 this,

00:29:42.380 --> 00:29:42.700
 let them

00:29:42.700 --> 00:29:43.220
 know.

00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:44.220
 They need

00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:44.480
 to know

00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:44.799
 about me.

00:29:44.940 --> 00:29:45.420
 I am a

00:29:45.420 --> 00:29:45.900
 God who

00:29:45.900 --> 00:29:46.599
 forgives

00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:47.620
 sin.

00:29:48.339 --> 00:29:49.519
 I forgive

00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.579
 wrongdoing.

00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:51.420
 I even

00:29:51.420 --> 00:29:51.920
 forgive

00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:52.900
 rebellion.

00:29:52.900 --> 00:29:53.579
 When they

00:29:53.579 --> 00:29:54.200
 shake their

00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:54.900
 fist in my

00:29:54.900 --> 00:29:55.460
 face and

00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:55.859
 they just

00:29:55.859 --> 00:29:56.460
 refuse to

00:29:56.460 --> 00:29:56.779
 do it my

00:29:56.779 --> 00:29:56.879
 way,

00:29:57.220 --> 00:29:58.019
 I will

00:29:58.019 --> 00:29:59.180
 still forgive

00:29:59.180 --> 00:29:59.599
 that.

00:30:01.160 --> 00:30:01.660
 Boy,

00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:02.160
 what a great

00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:02.779
 message from

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:03.139
 God.

00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:04.599
 And then

00:30:04.599 --> 00:30:04.980
 here's the

00:30:04.980 --> 00:30:05.599
 last thing.

00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:07.339
 I will not

00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:07.779
 leave the

00:30:07.779 --> 00:30:09.079
 guilty unpunished.

00:30:10.279 --> 00:30:11.160
 He says at the

00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:11.879
 conclusion of

00:30:11.879 --> 00:30:12.440
 verse 7,

00:30:12.579 --> 00:30:13.180
 I will not

00:30:13.180 --> 00:30:13.579
 leave the

00:30:13.579 --> 00:30:14.500
 guilty unpunished.

00:30:14.500 --> 00:30:15.359
 And what

00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:15.900
 he's implying

00:30:15.900 --> 00:30:16.259
 is this,

00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:17.940
 I am

00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:19.579
 just.

00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:22.339
 I am

00:30:22.339 --> 00:30:23.019
 just.

00:30:23.259 --> 00:30:23.779
 He wanted

00:30:23.779 --> 00:30:24.019
 to make

00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:24.240
 sure,

00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:24.720
 even though

00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:25.200
 they understood

00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:25.579
 all these

00:30:25.579 --> 00:30:26.000
 good things,

00:30:26.059 --> 00:30:26.460
 they understood

00:30:26.460 --> 00:30:27.200
 that I am

00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:27.480
 just,

00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:28.059
 I will not

00:30:28.059 --> 00:30:28.440
 leave the

00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:29.460
 guilty unpunished.

00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:31.180
 I close this

00:30:31.180 --> 00:30:31.480
 story,

00:30:31.579 --> 00:30:32.119
 it's embarrassing,

00:30:32.279 --> 00:30:32.599
 but it's the

00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:33.039
 best way to

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:33.579
 illustrate the

00:30:33.579 --> 00:30:33.900
 point I'm

00:30:33.900 --> 00:30:34.220
 trying to

00:30:34.220 --> 00:30:34.539
 make.

00:30:35.099 --> 00:30:35.660
 So at my

00:30:35.660 --> 00:30:36.059
 expense,

00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:36.640
 I tell this

00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:37.180
 story this

00:30:37.180 --> 00:30:37.460
 morning.

00:30:38.460 --> 00:30:39.240
 I'm about

00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:40.720
 38 years old

00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:41.519
 at the time.

00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:43.000
 I'm pastoring

00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:43.640
 Western Avenue

00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:44.360
 Baptist Church

00:30:44.360 --> 00:30:45.020
 in Statesville.

00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:46.140
 It's 1987.

00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:49.520
 And there

00:30:49.520 --> 00:30:50.880
 in 1987,

00:30:51.400 --> 00:30:52.160
 they came out

00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:52.700
 with a new

00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:53.100
 Camry.

00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:53.840
 They changed

00:30:53.840 --> 00:30:54.259
 it from that

00:30:54.259 --> 00:30:54.920
 little square

00:30:54.920 --> 00:30:56.040
 Camry car,

00:30:56.160 --> 00:30:56.460
 some of you

00:30:56.460 --> 00:30:56.880
 will remember.

00:30:57.640 --> 00:30:58.160
 They changed

00:30:58.160 --> 00:30:58.759
 to a more

00:30:58.759 --> 00:30:59.580
 rounded look.

00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:00.680
 It had a

00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:01.300
 seat belt that

00:31:01.300 --> 00:31:01.860
 came across

00:31:01.860 --> 00:31:02.720
 automatically and

00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:03.200
 fashioned you.

00:31:03.500 --> 00:31:04.040
 Man, it made

00:31:04.040 --> 00:31:04.540
 you feel like

00:31:04.540 --> 00:31:04.920
 you're a big

00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:05.500
 shot, right?

00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:06.620
 It's still just

00:31:06.620 --> 00:31:07.160
 a Camry, but

00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:07.820
 I loved it.

00:31:08.780 --> 00:31:09.400
 I knew the

00:31:09.400 --> 00:31:09.880
 one I wanted.

00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:10.620
 I'd seen it on

00:31:10.620 --> 00:31:11.020
 commercials.

00:31:11.220 --> 00:31:11.640
 It was wide,

00:31:11.740 --> 00:31:12.360
 had beautiful

00:31:12.360 --> 00:31:13.220
 hubcaps,

00:31:13.300 --> 00:31:13.620
 wheels,

00:31:13.640 --> 00:31:15.060
 and it

00:31:15.060 --> 00:31:15.620
 had a blue

00:31:15.620 --> 00:31:16.680
 velour interior.

00:31:16.940 --> 00:31:17.320
 Doesn't sound

00:31:17.320 --> 00:31:17.940
 like much now.

00:31:18.020 --> 00:31:18.660
 Boy, it was a

00:31:18.660 --> 00:31:19.680
 fancy thing then,

00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:20.040
 right?

00:31:20.820 --> 00:31:21.500
 That's the one I

00:31:21.500 --> 00:31:21.620
 wanted.

00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:22.180
 I went to the

00:31:22.180 --> 00:31:23.040
 car lot, a truck

00:31:23.040 --> 00:31:23.540
 had just pulled

00:31:23.540 --> 00:31:24.620
 in, I saw it.

00:31:24.680 --> 00:31:25.180
 I told the guy

00:31:25.180 --> 00:31:25.980
 that sells me, I

00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:26.340
 want the one

00:31:26.340 --> 00:31:26.740
 right up there

00:31:26.740 --> 00:31:27.200
 on the top of

00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:27.660
 that truck, but

00:31:27.660 --> 00:31:28.100
 it's on the

00:31:28.100 --> 00:31:28.300
 top.

00:31:28.440 --> 00:31:28.880
 That's the one

00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:29.140
 I wanted.

00:31:30.259 --> 00:31:31.060
 Bought that car,

00:31:31.120 --> 00:31:31.980
 was so proud of

00:31:31.980 --> 00:31:32.100
 it.

00:31:32.500 --> 00:31:33.020
 A few weeks

00:31:33.020 --> 00:31:33.840
 later, we lost

00:31:33.840 --> 00:31:34.680
 our minister of

00:31:34.680 --> 00:31:35.000
 music.

00:31:35.680 --> 00:31:36.360
 Our personnel

00:31:36.360 --> 00:31:37.060
 committee heard

00:31:37.060 --> 00:31:37.700
 about a guy in

00:31:37.700 --> 00:31:38.460
 Gastonia, North

00:31:38.460 --> 00:31:39.220
 Carolina, and we

00:31:39.220 --> 00:31:39.820
 decided we'd go

00:31:39.820 --> 00:31:40.160
 over there and

00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:40.780
 hear him, meet

00:31:40.780 --> 00:31:41.800
 him, take him

00:31:43.640 --> 00:31:43.860
 that.

00:31:44.259 --> 00:31:44.720
 We went in

00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:45.440
 two cars, there

00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:45.960
 were about eight

00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:46.759
 of us all together,

00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:47.720
 one staff person,

00:31:47.840 --> 00:31:48.500
 six committee

00:31:48.500 --> 00:31:48.960
 members, and

00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:49.200
 myself.

00:31:49.800 --> 00:31:50.400
 So we'd get in

00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:51.040
 two cars and we

00:31:51.040 --> 00:31:51.440
 go over there.

00:31:51.540 --> 00:31:52.500
 I'm in my 87

00:31:52.500 --> 00:31:53.020
 Camry.

00:31:53.259 --> 00:31:54.020
 I'm so proud of

00:31:54.020 --> 00:31:55.100
 that Camry, if

00:31:55.100 --> 00:31:55.700
 you hadn't picked

00:31:55.700 --> 00:31:56.460
 up on that yet.

00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:58.540
 And this other

00:31:58.540 --> 00:31:59.000
 guy who was

00:31:59.000 --> 00:31:59.420
 chairman of the

00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:00.480
 committee, he had

00:32:00.480 --> 00:32:02.680
 a mid-80s Olds

00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:04.700
 Mobile 98, about

00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:05.520
 as long as this

00:32:05.520 --> 00:32:06.840
 middle row in the

00:32:06.840 --> 00:32:07.740
 auditorium.

00:32:08.580 --> 00:32:09.160
 I mean, you had

00:32:09.160 --> 00:32:09.480
 to go to the

00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:10.180
 airport to turn

00:32:10.180 --> 00:32:10.680
 the thing around.

00:32:10.740 --> 00:32:11.360
 Remember those?

00:32:12.120 --> 00:32:12.880
 Get about 10

00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:13.420
 miles per

00:32:13.420 --> 00:32:14.779
 gallon, just a

00:32:14.779 --> 00:32:16.140
 big, big, big

00:32:16.140 --> 00:32:16.620
 old car.

00:32:17.140 --> 00:32:17.940
 So we finish our

00:32:17.940 --> 00:32:18.560
 meeting, we're

00:32:18.560 --> 00:32:18.880
 out in the

00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:19.660
 parking lot, we're

00:32:19.660 --> 00:32:20.240
 standing around

00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:20.900
 chewing the fat.

00:32:21.380 --> 00:32:22.000
 You would think

00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:22.480
 we're a couple

00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:24.039
 17, 18-year-old

00:32:24.039 --> 00:32:24.580
 kids.

00:32:25.539 --> 00:32:26.700
 I'm saying, man, I

00:32:26.700 --> 00:32:27.180
 love my car.

00:32:27.340 --> 00:32:28.060
 It's got a button

00:32:28.060 --> 00:32:29.160
 you can push and

00:32:29.160 --> 00:32:30.140
 it'll send extra

00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:31.060
 gas to the

00:32:31.060 --> 00:32:32.120
 carburetor and

00:32:32.120 --> 00:32:32.900
 it's for power

00:32:32.900 --> 00:32:33.180
 situation.

00:32:33.800 --> 00:32:34.900
 He says, that

00:32:34.900 --> 00:32:35.920
 little runny

00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:36.620
 foreign car?

00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:38.100
 He says, I want

00:32:38.100 --> 00:32:38.380
 you to know I

00:32:38.380 --> 00:32:38.940
 could blow the

00:32:38.940 --> 00:32:39.680
 doors off that

00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:40.019
 thing.

00:32:40.860 --> 00:32:41.860
 I said, no, you

00:32:41.860 --> 00:32:42.140
 couldn't.

00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:42.800
 Yes, I

00:32:42.800 --> 00:32:42.980
 could.

00:32:43.060 --> 00:32:43.860
 We argue like

00:32:43.860 --> 00:32:44.220
 two little

00:32:44.220 --> 00:32:45.080
 schoolboys, right?

00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:47.220
 So we get in the

00:32:47.220 --> 00:32:47.340
 car.

00:32:47.420 --> 00:32:47.940
 We're all laughing

00:32:47.940 --> 00:32:48.360
 and having a good

00:32:48.360 --> 00:32:48.520
 time.

00:32:48.620 --> 00:32:49.040
 We get in the

00:32:49.040 --> 00:32:49.700
 car, half of them

00:32:49.700 --> 00:32:50.520
 in my car, half of

00:32:50.520 --> 00:32:51.120
 them in his car.

00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:52.220
 We head back to

00:32:52.220 --> 00:32:52.580
 Statesville.

00:32:53.220 --> 00:32:54.480
 77 takes you all

00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:54.759
 the way to

00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:55.120
 Statesville.

00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:55.740
 You get to

00:32:55.740 --> 00:32:56.759
 Interstate 40.

00:32:57.120 --> 00:32:57.560
 You get on

00:32:57.560 --> 00:32:58.340
 Interstate 40, you

00:32:58.340 --> 00:32:59.140
 go about a mile and

00:32:59.140 --> 00:32:59.360
 a half.

00:32:59.420 --> 00:32:59.940
 You get off the

00:32:59.940 --> 00:33:00.840
 exit and right

00:33:00.840 --> 00:33:01.240
 there's our

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:01.880
 church, right?

00:33:01.880 --> 00:33:04.600
 So we're coming

00:33:04.600 --> 00:33:05.460
 back on 77

00:33:05.460 --> 00:33:06.940
 heading north and

00:33:06.940 --> 00:33:07.480
 I turn to the

00:33:07.480 --> 00:33:09.060
 people in my car,

00:33:09.740 --> 00:33:10.860
 about four people

00:33:10.860 --> 00:33:12.360
 in my car and we

00:33:12.360 --> 00:33:13.000
 get up here to the

00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:14.620
 cloverleaf connecting

00:33:14.620 --> 00:33:15.760
 us from 77 40.

00:33:15.880 --> 00:33:17.040
 I said, fasten your

00:33:17.040 --> 00:33:18.500
 seatbelts because when

00:33:18.500 --> 00:33:19.100
 we come off this

00:33:19.100 --> 00:33:20.480
 cloverleaf, I'm going

00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:21.140
 to blow his doors

00:33:21.140 --> 00:33:21.540
 off.

00:33:22.620 --> 00:33:24.360
 So we come off the

00:33:24.360 --> 00:33:25.760
 cloverleaf and just,

00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:26.500
 I'm not going to do

00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:27.180
 it for long, but I

00:33:27.180 --> 00:33:28.780
 just for a second, I

00:33:28.780 --> 00:33:29.540
 stomp on the

00:33:29.540 --> 00:33:29.840
 accelerator.

00:33:29.960 --> 00:33:30.700
 I mean, I push it

00:33:30.700 --> 00:33:31.259
 through the floor

00:33:31.259 --> 00:33:31.559
 board.

00:33:32.360 --> 00:33:34.400
 We fly past this

00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:34.840
 guy, right?

00:33:34.920 --> 00:33:35.680
 We're waving to him

00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:36.200
 as we go by.

00:33:36.380 --> 00:33:37.700
 We just fly by him

00:33:37.700 --> 00:33:38.420
 like he's standing

00:33:38.420 --> 00:33:38.819
 still.

00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:40.759
 I get to this bridge

00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:42.279
 just maybe a quarter

00:33:42.279 --> 00:33:42.920
 of a mile down the

00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:43.840
 road where I'm

00:33:43.840 --> 00:33:44.460
 beginning to slow up

00:33:44.460 --> 00:33:45.120
 because my exit's

00:33:45.120 --> 00:33:47.160
 coming up and as I

00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:47.840
 do, I look down at

00:33:47.840 --> 00:33:48.860
 my speedometer and

00:33:48.860 --> 00:33:50.240
 it's 94 miles an

00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:50.519
 hour.

00:33:51.420 --> 00:33:52.080
 Shame to say that,

00:33:52.140 --> 00:33:53.140
 94 miles an hour.

00:33:53.620 --> 00:33:55.620
 I let off the gas and

00:33:55.620 --> 00:33:56.620
 just as I do, I look

00:33:56.620 --> 00:33:57.620
 in the left-hand lane

00:33:57.620 --> 00:33:59.059
 of the oncoming

00:33:59.059 --> 00:34:00.580
 traffic and there's a

00:34:00.579 --> 00:34:01.419
 highway patrolman.

00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:03.460
 Brake lights are

00:34:03.460 --> 00:34:03.859
 everywhere.

00:34:05.099 --> 00:34:05.980
 But I figure, hey, I've

00:34:05.980 --> 00:34:07.079
 only got to go a half a

00:34:07.079 --> 00:34:08.000
 mile and I'm going to

00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:08.920
 get off the interstate

00:34:08.920 --> 00:34:10.019
 and I'm not going to

00:34:10.019 --> 00:34:10.599
 run from him.

00:34:10.840 --> 00:34:11.519
 I'm just going to

00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:12.659
 conveniently disappear.

00:34:14.239 --> 00:34:15.039
 I'm going to get down

00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:15.619
 to the bottom of the

00:34:15.619 --> 00:34:16.799
 stop sign and I'm going

00:34:16.799 --> 00:34:17.519
 to go across to the

00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:18.619
 service road and my

00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:19.440
 church is right there

00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:21.360
 and I'm in the clear.

00:34:22.299 --> 00:34:23.819
 So I just, I didn't

00:34:23.819 --> 00:34:24.759
 violate the speed

00:34:24.759 --> 00:34:24.840
 line.

00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:25.719
 I just went down to the

00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:27.179
 stop sign, crossed the

00:34:27.179 --> 00:34:27.440
 road.

00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:28.360
 He's got to come

00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:29.019
 across a hundred

00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:32.420
 yards of terrain, right?

00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:34.800
 So I go up through the

00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:35.400
 parking lot of this

00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:36.900
 restaurant, get over the

00:34:36.900 --> 00:34:38.500
 big hill and I'm home

00:34:38.500 --> 00:34:39.380
 for, I'm about a quarter

00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:40.380
 mile from my church, half

00:34:40.380 --> 00:34:41.220
 mile from my church at

00:34:41.220 --> 00:34:42.099
 most.

00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:44.860
 Just as I'm several

00:34:44.860 --> 00:34:45.880
 hundred yards past that

00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:47.920
 hill, I look up and out

00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:49.720
 of nowhere, this police

00:34:49.720 --> 00:34:51.720
 car gets airborne and sets

00:34:51.720 --> 00:34:53.360
 down a couple times hard,

00:34:54.260 --> 00:34:55.900
 blue lights flashing and I'm

00:34:55.900 --> 00:34:57.380
 just, I want to puke just

00:34:57.380 --> 00:34:58.099
 to be honest with you,

00:34:58.119 --> 00:34:58.320
 right?

00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:00.119
 No, that's a word you're

00:35:00.119 --> 00:35:00.940
 not supposed to use when

00:35:00.940 --> 00:35:01.820
 you preach but that's how

00:35:01.820 --> 00:35:02.680
 I felt that moment.

00:35:04.180 --> 00:35:05.420
 I pull off the side of

00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:07.180
 the road, he comes flying

00:35:07.180 --> 00:35:09.360
 up behind me, he starts

00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:09.880
 getting out of the

00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:10.900
 patrol car, I'm getting

00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:11.840
 out of my car because I

00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:12.360
 don't want the people

00:35:12.360 --> 00:35:13.440
 inside to hear what I

00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:14.160
 know he's going to say

00:35:14.160 --> 00:35:14.820
 to me, right?

00:35:16.160 --> 00:35:17.559
 So I go walking back to

00:35:17.559 --> 00:35:18.880
 the patrol car, he's

00:35:18.880 --> 00:35:19.440
 getting out of the car,

00:35:19.500 --> 00:35:20.059
 he's putting on his

00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:21.539
 smokey the bear hat, he's

00:35:21.539 --> 00:35:22.539
 walking toward me and he

00:35:22.539 --> 00:35:23.559
 takes about a step and he

00:35:23.559 --> 00:35:24.300
 looks up and when he

00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:25.880
 does he says, put me

00:35:25.900 --> 00:35:26.460
 pastor?

00:35:29.240 --> 00:35:33.420
 And I said, Carol, I

00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:34.220
 know him, he's Carol

00:35:34.220 --> 00:35:35.260
 Ward, he's been out of

00:35:35.260 --> 00:35:36.099
 the patrol car and a

00:35:36.099 --> 00:35:37.059
 member of our church.

00:35:38.220 --> 00:35:39.720
 I just walk over to the

00:35:39.720 --> 00:35:40.579
 passenger side of the

00:35:40.579 --> 00:35:41.440
 patrol car and he says,

00:35:41.500 --> 00:35:41.960
 what are you doing?

00:35:42.019 --> 00:35:42.760
 And I said, I'm getting

00:35:42.760 --> 00:35:43.780
 in the car so you can

00:35:43.780 --> 00:35:44.599
 write me that ticket.

00:35:45.240 --> 00:35:47.619
 He says, what were you

00:35:47.619 --> 00:35:47.940
 doing?

00:35:48.360 --> 00:35:49.280
 I said, I was showing

00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:50.260
 off, acting like an

00:35:50.260 --> 00:35:51.559
 idiot, I'm sorry.

00:35:52.380 --> 00:35:55.119
 And he says, looks me

00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:55.799
 dead in the face.

00:35:56.299 --> 00:35:57.719
 He says, your face

00:35:57.719 --> 00:35:59.940
 tells me you are never

00:35:59.940 --> 00:36:01.900
 going to do that again.

00:36:02.799 --> 00:36:03.440
 Are you?

00:36:04.159 --> 00:36:06.000
 And I said, no, sir, I'm

00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:06.279
 not.

00:36:06.440 --> 00:36:07.400
 And I haven't, I'll be

00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:08.179
 honest, I haven't.

00:36:09.579 --> 00:36:10.779
 He says, go get in your

00:36:10.779 --> 00:36:13.859
 car and go home and don't

00:36:13.859 --> 00:36:14.579
 do that again.

00:36:14.579 --> 00:36:16.719
 Yes, sir, thank you.

00:36:17.960 --> 00:36:20.639
 I get in my car and

00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:21.460
 everybody's laughing.

00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:24.880
 You going to jail?

00:36:26.380 --> 00:36:27.599
 That was Carol Ward.

00:36:28.340 --> 00:36:29.699
 He didn't, he didn't find

00:36:29.699 --> 00:36:29.900
 me.

00:36:30.299 --> 00:36:31.259
 He didn't find you.

00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:33.259
 In the meantime, we've got

00:36:33.259 --> 00:36:34.039
 to tell you this, while we're

00:36:34.039 --> 00:36:34.639
 standing on the side of the

00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:35.980
 road, that other car with the

00:36:35.980 --> 00:36:37.099
 other four people in it, they

00:36:37.099 --> 00:36:37.880
 come by and they're going,

00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:41.539
 I'm standing on the side of

00:36:41.539 --> 00:36:42.340
 the road with Carol at the

00:36:42.340 --> 00:36:42.559
 time.

00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:44.679
 I get back, man, they're

00:36:44.679 --> 00:36:45.579
 razzing me.

00:36:46.099 --> 00:36:47.380
 I get back home, my wife

00:36:47.380 --> 00:36:47.820
 gets on me.

00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:48.960
 She plays Holy Spirit for

00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:49.059
 me.

00:36:49.099 --> 00:36:49.960
 Any of you men ever have

00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:50.980
 wives do that?

00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:52.639
 You know, you could have

00:36:52.639 --> 00:36:53.340
 lost your ministry.

00:36:53.460 --> 00:36:54.199
 You could have killed those

00:36:54.199 --> 00:36:54.460
 people.

00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:56.219
 And all of that, she was

00:36:56.219 --> 00:36:56.639
 right.

00:36:57.099 --> 00:36:58.440
 I just sat there and took

00:36:58.440 --> 00:36:58.579
 it.

00:36:59.059 --> 00:37:00.079
 Two days later, I get a

00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:00.940
 letter from a state firm

00:37:00.940 --> 00:37:02.000
 agent who, by the way, was

00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:02.940
 in my back seat.

00:37:04.460 --> 00:37:06.940
 He says, don't worry, I'm

00:37:06.940 --> 00:37:08.099
 not raising your rates, but I

00:37:08.099 --> 00:37:09.179
 just want you to see what

00:37:09.179 --> 00:37:10.880
 they would have been had

00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:11.820
 you gotten the ticket for

00:37:11.820 --> 00:37:12.360
 what happened.

00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:14.440
 It went up astronomically.

00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:16.519
 Now, I want to tell you, I

00:37:16.519 --> 00:37:17.940
 am so grateful to Carol

00:37:17.940 --> 00:37:20.619
 Ward for his showing me

00:37:20.619 --> 00:37:21.139
 leniency.

00:37:21.380 --> 00:37:22.920
 But I want you to understand

00:37:22.920 --> 00:37:24.059
 this perfectly clear.

00:37:25.559 --> 00:37:27.059
 That is not justice.

00:37:29.400 --> 00:37:31.159
 Any teenager in this room who

00:37:31.159 --> 00:37:32.219
 had gotten stopped driving

00:37:32.219 --> 00:37:34.559
 that crazy would have gone to

00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:34.860
 jail.

00:37:34.860 --> 00:37:38.719
 That was not justice.

00:37:38.719 --> 00:37:43.000
 I was shown favoritism because I

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:43.799
 was his pastor.

00:37:43.799 --> 00:37:45.739
 Because he knew me.

00:37:46.099 --> 00:37:47.480
 At best, because he thought,

00:37:47.779 --> 00:37:49.759
 this is not characteristic of

00:37:49.759 --> 00:37:50.579
 this guy I know.

00:37:51.719 --> 00:37:53.279
 But it's still not justice.

00:37:54.599 --> 00:37:56.000
 And I want to warn you because

00:37:56.000 --> 00:37:57.259
 I think there are a lot of folk

00:37:57.259 --> 00:37:59.419
 out there who think because I

00:37:59.419 --> 00:38:00.799
 grew up in church, I hung out

00:38:00.799 --> 00:38:01.359
 at church.

00:38:01.819 --> 00:38:02.919
 My name's on the roll, First

00:38:02.919 --> 00:38:03.719
 Baptist Pickens.

00:38:03.719 --> 00:38:05.739
 I showed up there a whole lot.

00:38:07.059 --> 00:38:08.179
 They think when they stand

00:38:08.179 --> 00:38:09.500
 before God, God's going to look

00:38:09.500 --> 00:38:10.879
 at them and say, oh yeah, I

00:38:10.879 --> 00:38:11.480
 remember you.

00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:13.859
 Yeah, you were there all the

00:38:13.859 --> 00:38:14.199
 time.

00:38:15.059 --> 00:38:15.899
 Come on in.

00:38:16.899 --> 00:38:17.539
 It's okay.

00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:18.699
 I'm going to give you a pass.

00:38:19.500 --> 00:38:22.079
 The Bible says he can't sweep our

00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:22.759
 sin on the carpet.

00:38:22.839 --> 00:38:23.219
 You know why?

00:38:23.599 --> 00:38:26.019
 Because he is rich in truth.

00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:28.539
 Because he is holy and he is

00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:29.019
 just.

00:38:29.019 --> 00:38:31.500
 He is not a doting grandfather.

00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:34.000
 He is going to find us guilty

00:38:34.000 --> 00:38:34.699
 of sin.

00:38:35.340 --> 00:38:36.559
 You say, well how can he forgive

00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:36.780
 us?

00:38:36.940 --> 00:38:39.179
 Because while he finds us guilty

00:38:39.179 --> 00:38:41.639
 of sin, he pays the penalty

00:38:41.639 --> 00:38:42.320
 for us.

00:38:43.139 --> 00:38:44.500
 He does the unthinkable.

00:38:45.659 --> 00:38:47.380
 He steps from behind the judge's

00:38:47.380 --> 00:38:49.199
 seat and comes in the form of

00:38:49.199 --> 00:38:50.960
 his son, the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:53.559
 and sheds his blood on the cross

00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:55.539
 that you and I can have eternal

00:38:55.539 --> 00:38:56.019
 life.

00:38:56.880 --> 00:38:58.300
 The Bible puts it this way.

00:38:58.300 --> 00:38:59.700
 All we like sheep have gone

00:38:59.700 --> 00:39:00.120
 astray.

00:39:00.620 --> 00:39:02.160
 We've each one turned to his own

00:39:02.160 --> 00:39:02.480
 way.

00:39:03.120 --> 00:39:06.760
 And the Lord has laid on him the

00:39:06.760 --> 00:39:07.940
 iniquity of us all.

00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:10.300
 He takes my sin and transfers it

00:39:10.300 --> 00:39:11.039
 to his son.

00:39:12.180 --> 00:39:13.780
 I close by telling you this.

00:39:15.640 --> 00:39:18.140
 This book I hold in my hand is my

00:39:18.140 --> 00:39:19.019
 copy of the scripture.

00:39:20.440 --> 00:39:21.900
 But what if it weren't?

00:39:22.700 --> 00:39:25.360
 What if this book were the history

00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:28.000
 book on the life of Ralph Carter?

00:39:29.300 --> 00:39:32.400
 You could turn to page one and you

00:39:32.400 --> 00:39:33.960
 could read on page one where I was

00:39:33.960 --> 00:39:37.660
 born on December the 18th, 1951 to

00:39:37.660 --> 00:39:38.880
 Ralph and Doris Carter.

00:39:39.820 --> 00:39:41.480
 You'd read within a few pages.

00:39:41.700 --> 00:39:43.080
 I have a brother and a sister,

00:39:43.220 --> 00:39:43.940
 Teresa and Ricky.

00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:46.280
 You'd read about my childhood,

00:39:46.620 --> 00:39:48.580
 attended 13 schools in 12 years

00:39:48.580 --> 00:39:50.000
 because my dad was in the military.

00:39:50.800 --> 00:39:52.400
 You'd read some things that fascinate

00:39:52.400 --> 00:39:54.000
 you, some that would bore you to tears.

00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:55.800
 You'd read some things that say,

00:39:55.900 --> 00:39:57.719
 well, you know, he's an okay guy.

00:39:58.119 --> 00:39:59.599
 He's a guy I'd like to hang out with.

00:39:59.980 --> 00:40:01.420
 And then you'd read some things where

00:40:01.420 --> 00:40:02.940
 you'd say, well, man, that was a good

00:40:02.940 --> 00:40:03.699
 thing he did.

00:40:04.159 --> 00:40:06.079
 But I want to tell you, you'd read a lot

00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:09.000
 of places that you'd go, what?

00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:12.239
 You'd read some of those pages that we

00:40:12.239 --> 00:40:15.300
 try to keep closed where you'd say,

00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:18.199
 why did Fred Stone have that guy come

00:40:18.199 --> 00:40:18.659
 preach?

00:40:20.219 --> 00:40:23.280
 My goodness, he's not a guy who should

00:40:23.280 --> 00:40:24.860
 be standing in the pulpit preaching.

00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:27.160
 Why did we get him?

00:40:28.280 --> 00:40:29.599
 There's some things in this book,

00:40:29.680 --> 00:40:31.680
 if they were open and you came and read

00:40:31.680 --> 00:40:33.160
 them, I've got to be honest with you.

00:40:34.400 --> 00:40:36.300
 I'd be humiliated to death.

00:40:37.480 --> 00:40:38.960
 Things I just wouldn't want anybody in

00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:39.760
 the world to know about.

00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:41.880
 Thoughts I've had and actions I've taken

00:40:41.880 --> 00:40:42.860
 and things I've said.

00:40:43.480 --> 00:40:44.880
 I don't want nobody to know those

00:40:44.880 --> 00:40:45.200
 things.

00:40:46.840 --> 00:40:48.680
 But if it was open in the presence of

00:40:48.680 --> 00:40:50.440
 God and I was judged out of what is

00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:52.579
 written in my life's book, in the

00:40:52.579 --> 00:40:54.680
 presence of God, I wouldn't just be

00:40:54.679 --> 00:40:55.119
 embarrassed.

00:40:55.279 --> 00:40:57.139
 I would be eternally condemned.

00:40:58.940 --> 00:41:01.000
 And the only hope I have is that

00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:04.579
 someone else has paid the penalty of

00:41:04.579 --> 00:41:05.519
 my sin for me.

00:41:05.559 --> 00:41:07.539
 And that one is the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:41:08.619 --> 00:41:11.599
 And if he's never, ever pardoned you

00:41:11.599 --> 00:41:12.759
 of your sin, I want to tell you

00:41:12.759 --> 00:41:13.379
 something today.

00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:15.879
 I don't care what you've done, he

00:41:15.879 --> 00:41:16.239
 will.

00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:20.699
 All you need to do is ask him, Lord

00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:22.759
 Jesus Christ, forgive me of my sin.

00:41:23.239 --> 00:41:24.659
 I know I'm not worthy of sin.

00:41:24.679 --> 00:41:26.839
 I know I can't get there by attending

00:41:26.839 --> 00:41:28.579
 church, by giving my tithe, by singing

00:41:28.579 --> 00:41:30.339
 the choir, by being good, because I just

00:41:30.339 --> 00:41:31.039
 can't be good enough.

00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:32.799
 I've already messed up too much.

00:41:34.119 --> 00:41:35.679
 So I plead for your mercy.

00:41:36.839 --> 00:41:38.739
 I plead for your grace in my life.

00:41:40.179 --> 00:41:42.079
 If you've never done that today, I'm

00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:43.579
 going to ask you to consider doing that

00:41:43.579 --> 00:41:44.139
 right now.

00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:48.059
 To right now as we have music played,

00:41:48.699 --> 00:41:50.119
 one of your staff will come and stand here

00:41:50.119 --> 00:41:50.579
 at the front.

00:41:51.239 --> 00:41:52.859
 I'm going to ask you to slip out of your

00:41:52.859 --> 00:41:53.980
 seat and just come to the front.

00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:55.059
 You may need to talk to him.

00:41:55.159 --> 00:41:56.480
 You may just want to come and kneel here

00:41:56.480 --> 00:41:56.980
 at the altar.

00:41:57.679 --> 00:41:59.219
 The one you really need to talk to is God.

00:41:59.859 --> 00:42:02.500
 And just say, God, I just need you in my life.

00:42:02.659 --> 00:42:04.539
 I'm begging you for salvation today.

00:42:05.579 --> 00:42:06.239
 Would you come?

00:42:06.779 --> 00:42:07.420
 Let's stand.

00:42:08.219 --> 00:42:09.599
 Let's have our music.

00:42:09.599 --> 00:42:39.579
 Let's have our music.