All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. Now I will
be absent for a couple, the next two Sundays, but I plan on trying
to take a little time as I go through Romans chapter 9. The
first three verses, Paul, of course, is continuing his letter
to the believers there at Rome. He's continuing the letter, but
I want to just read these first three verses of chapter nine.
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not. My conscience also bearing
me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and
continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself
were a curse from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according
to the flesh. The words that the Apostle Paul
was writing here, and of course, I'm sure everyone here understands
this and maybe everyone live streaming, but in case there's
someone that doesn't know this, Paul did not, none of the Bible
was written in chapters. It was just a letter. This specifically was just a
letter. And some studious people somewhere along the line seemed
fit to put in chapters and verses. I do greatly appreciate that
because it makes things a whole lot easier to find. But the words
of chapter 9 are just as much words written to convey God's
truth in plain language as all the rest of the chapters here.
In other words, there's no hidden mystical meaning but just the
conveyance of truth in straightforward language. I say that because
in some commentaries, just some, not all of course, in some commentaries,
but especially amongst the religionists of this world, they get to chapter
9 and they come up with all kinds of hidden meaning or mystical
meaning. And the reason is not because
Paul writes in such language. The book of the revelation of
Jesus Christ is written in a lot of such language. And some of
it's hard to grasp. And most of these people who
think they know all about the book of the revelation of Jesus
Christ are just wet behind the ears, as we say. But this is
simply a letter written to a church in Rome. And the very fact that
Paul starts out this great exposition of the absolute sovereignty of
God by expressing the fact that he has great heaviness and continual
sorrow in his heart lets me know a couple things. The sovereignty
of God does not take away all grief and heaviness. That's right.
It does not. And there are those who try to
play man's grief and heaviness, especially for other individuals,
and especially even further, for individuals who are not saved,
they try to play that against the sovereignty of God. But Paul
does not do that here. So again, without spending more
time there, this is simply straightforward language. It's straightforward
language. And Paul expresses his concern
for his kinsmen. My title and what I want to try
to deal with this morning is this, emotion only versus spiritual
concern. There is nothing wrong with emotion
unless that emotion is misplaced concerning the truth of God.
God made us to be emotional creatures. But remember, we fail in our
Father Adam. Therefore, our emotions at best
are distorted, if not in fact absolutely depraved apart from
the grace of God. So again, Paul says, I say the
truth in Christ, I lie not. And I gather from this, I just
gather from this, he doesn't deal with that a lot, but I gather
from this that there were those, because of who Paul was, because
of what he preached, and because of what he's about to write right
here, because he taught these things, he didn't just write
these things. He preached these things, Mac, he didn't just write
about them in his letters. That there were some who said,
well, Paul doesn't really care about other people. Paul doesn't really care about
other people. He said, I say the truth, in Christ I lie not. My conscience also bear me witness
in the Holy Ghost. And he doesn't need to give any
man any more explanation than that. Because trying to prove
it to someone else is to no avail. And here's what I, I'm not lying,
that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
We know that he also, in the next chapter, that chapter begins
with Paul saying this, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Paul cared about
his kinsmen. But oh, God help us to remember
this. And I'm not trying to be too picky, but maybe I am being
picky. Paul did not say my family. He
said, my kinsmen. Because God's people, those who
are regenerated and converted by the gospel, they are our family. And I wish we could all learn
to start using that kind of language. Call our brothers and sisters
our family, call everybody else, if they are kin to us, our kinsmen. Our kinsmen. As a matter of fact,
I think one individual preacher pointed out when he stood behind
this podium many years ago, that the word family, especially in
the New Testament, is never used to describe the relationship
between individual blood, people of the same individual bloodline.
You understand what I'm saying? It never is used that way. So
Paul expresses his concern. But he says this about Israel,
for I bear them record, they have a zeal of God. Let me just,
this is my thoughts about the matter. It's not what Paul wrote,
but they're so close and yet so far away. You know the old
phrase? They're so close and just yet so far away. And your
heart grieves for people like that. But Paul also knew there
were some amongst Israel who had heard the truth, who had
begun to respond to the truth favorably, and that's the only
way I could put it. It looked just like everyone
else's response to the truth, but then they turned their back
on that truth. And I'm sure that grieved Paul
as well. He was not happy over such a
thing, but he knew that our God is in absolute sovereign control. And no matter what our concern
for others is, we must remember some of those little spiritual
tidbit lessons that our Lord taught us. He told the disciples,
you go into this town and you preach the truth to them, you
preach the gospel to them. If they don't receive it, what
do you do? Just keep begging them, just keep begging them,
just keep begging them. Shake the dust off your feet when you
leave. That doesn't mean you stop to
be concerned for them either, does it? But our actions, our
concern, our concern must not dictate our actions. Do you hear
what I'm saying? Our concern must not dictate
our actions. For I bear them record that they
have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. I will say this
again. Men and women are not saved by
knowledge. But men and women are not converted
apart from some knowledge of the Lord and Savior of Jesus
Christ. Because you can't believe on one, or you can't call on
one that you don't believe in. And you can't believe on one
you ain't never heard about. And you can't hear about it unless
God sends somebody with the message to you. So just a few things,
I'll try to be brief. I said I will try to be brief.
Paul's intent, listen to me now, Paul's intent, Paul is confessing
here to us that his intent at one time was misplaced. That's
right. He says, he wrote these words,
he is being straightforward. I say the truth in Christ, I
lie not. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost
that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart
for I could wish that myself. This is one of the only places
the word wish is used in the scripture. And it is simply that,
a wish. A wish. We wish for a lot of
things. But thank God He don't give us all of it. Amen. You're right. Thank God He's
not giving me everything I've ever wished for. Exactly. Because
I know this, it would have ruined my life as well as my soul. Because I do not know what is
best to wish for. We don't even know what to pray
for, as we all do. How much more are our wishes
eschewed? But he says that. Now, I don't
want to get too convoluted here. Literally what Paul wrote, he
said, for I could wish. Remember that word, wish? Literally
Paul wrote this, and I did check it. I've heard other people say
it. I checked it in the Greek that the KJV was basically based
upon. The actual rendering is this,
for I was wishing. The emphasis here in the direct
statement of Paul is I'm not wishing this anymore. Now I still
have a prayer to God for Israel that they might be saved, but
I'm not wishing what? That I myself could be a curse
from Christ for my kinsmen, according to the flesh. And we'll look
at why here in a moment. For I could wish, the KJV puts it
literally. Paul wrote, for I was wishing.
The KJV is okay because it emphasizes this, for I am capable of wishing. That's the way the KJV puts it. Paul, the wording, whether it's
directly from the accepted text or whether it's from the KJV
itself, the rendering lets us know that the capability to wish
is there, but something's happened that caused him to quit wishing.
Not wishing that they might be saved, because he even prayed
that they might be saved. Yes, sir. But wishing what? That
I could be accursed for my kinsmen. That's a cat of a different color. Why? Because there he is. The
same man wrote to Timothy and says, there he is, but one mediator
between God and men. That's the man, Christ Jesus.
No matter how faithful we are and devoted to others and concern
we have, how much concern we have for others, we cannot stand
in as a substitute or mediator or surety for anyone. And one time, I'm not saying
Paul didn't grasp that Christ was the only mediator, but we're
capable of wishing a lot of things. Because that's what he says,
for I could wish that myself were a curse for Christ for my
brethren and my kinsmen according to the flesh. He cared about
them that much. But God sending Paul to hell
would not save one of his Jewish kinsmen. Not one and Paul is
quite clear that he knows this for he says in verse six Not
as though the Word of God has taken that effect For they are
not all Israel which are of Israel I Will paraphrase they are not
all the elect of God who were born of Jewish or Israelite ancestry. That's what he's talking about
That's the whole context I mean, I even know of some Calvinists,
now they may have changed their minds by now, I hope so, that
go into some Jewish fantasy in Romans chapter nine. Paul is
writing to mainly Gentiles. Now there were Jews there as
well. He spoke about that, chapter one and two. This is not some
Jewish fantasy. No man or woman was ever saved
by, or born of God, or born of blood. whereby they would believe
Christ. Never! Jews are not saved because
they're Jews. They're saved because God chose
to save them before the world began. And He didn't choose all
Jews. Never has, never will. I was of that false idea at one
time that one day in the future God will save all the Jews simply
because they're Jews. That is not so. It was not so. There is but one mediator. Now let me say this concerning
this one thing. Paul's intent at one time was
misplaced. Now listen to me. Believing the
absolutely sovereign God does not stifle concern for others. Now, we are told it does that.
Someone says, well, I believe what you believe. I never would
preach or pray or do anything again. Don't call them a liar. If they believe what you believe
in the state that they are presently in, they would use it as an excuse.
Because they're unregenerate that respond like that. And unregenerate
men always twist the truth. But I'm saying this, believing
the absolutely sovereign God does not stifle concern for others. Just believing in sovereignty
may. If you're keyed all this just
sovereignty, I believe in sovereignty. I've heard people say, I believe
in sovereignty. That may be good, that may not be good. It is believing
the sovereign God that works and instills within the soul
a concern for others is believing the sovereign God, not just believing
in the sovereignty of God. Amen. Just believing in sovereignty
may stifle concern for others, but believing the sovereign God
does not. But let me just jump right to
the next thing. But I want you to note what Paul
writes of Elias' words. Here's the second point. Not
all intent is always for others. Not all concern is always for
others. Look at what even Paul writes.
Romans chapter 11. Let's turn there for a moment. Remember, not all intent, not
all concern is always for others. Alas, according to the scripture,
and Paul quotes Elias here in chapter 11. Elias made intercession
to God. You notice the word against Israel. I say then, hath God cast away
his people? God forbid. For I am also an
Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Let
me stop a moment. Somebody said, there's arguments out there.
You got one person casting aspersion against other people. And meanwhile,
has God cast away the Jew? One man says yes, another man
says no. Look at what Paul writes. Has
God cast away his people? God forbid. I'm also an Israelite
of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. He's talking
about bloodline, is he not? But look at what he said. God
hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Now he's already
wrote to these people of the people who God foreknew. They're
the same ones he did what? He predestinated. You see that? So the truth is, yes, God has
cast away Israel as a national people. But he's not done with
all Israelites. He's not done with all Jews.
There is still the remnant according to the election of grace. And this is exactly what it goes
on to say. Now folks, that's the truth.
And why do men argue and cast aspersions against others? Simply
because we're trying to prove our point. Me included, would
I have ever done such a thing. I say then, if God cast away
his people, God forbid, for I am also an Israelite of the seed
of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people
which he foreknew. What, ye not? What the scripture
saith of Elias, how that he maketh intercession to God against Israel,
saying. So he wasn't praying for him,
he was praying against him. And rightfully so. They had rebelled
under Ahab and his wife Jezebel in some of the most heinous of
ways. And Elias, as it's put here,
Elijah, that's all he's seen. Now bless God, if that's all
you see, you and I, if that's all I see, we're gonna be just
like Elijah. Let's not think we're living
on some higher plane than Elijah. saying, Lord, they have killed
thy prophets and digged down thine altars, and I am left alone. Now, notice how he's got part
truth and part emotion, part spiritual concern and part emotion
only. Do you see what I'm saying? That's
my title, my thought, emotion only versus spiritual concern.
Lord, they've killed thy prophets. That was right. They have digged
down thine altars. That was right. And they offered
up, they had offered to bail and all these other Look, but
here's the problem. And I am left alone. Poor me. Now folks, by what he's seen,
I understand the feeling. Don't you? Now listen to me. Sometimes loneliness and trouble
can cause us to become very self-centered and jaundiced. Right? Now I'm left alone. That's the,
everything else was right. And they seek my life. That was
correct too. But he thought I'm the only one. God let him know you're not.
But he didn't let him know until Elijah had already belly ached
about the situation. But what saith the answer of
God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. That's
it. All of this, God was in absolute
sovereign control while Elijah was bellyaching, before he bellyached,
while he was bellyaching, and after he stopped bellyaching.
Do you understand what God's saying here? I'm in control of
this. I don't have to reveal to you everything I'm doing.
And in most cases, Mac, he does not. Just with this small group
of people, God gives us a little glimpse here or there of someone
we've helped, someone that just enjoys the messages. He's been
blessed by it. But folks, we got the internet
now. We don't know what God's doing
out there. You know that? But if he does nothing else, it's
all been grace and mercy and compassion. He doesn't know us
or anybody else, any of this. Why? Even so then at this present
time, Paul writes, there also, present time also, there is a
remnant according to the election of grace. So there we see where our emotions
need to be brought in line. brought under the halter, if
you will. Emotion only will, I didn't say can, it can, but
it will lead us astray. It will lead us astray. Now I
realize that most people connect concern for others, spiritual
concern, just concerns for someone else's soul, whether they're
saved or they're lost. And if you don't have concern
for others, you are a heartless individual. I mean, that's just
a fact. But I also know that the attitude
and the emotion that religion connects to this concern is all
dead wrong. Most people's praying, whether
it's out of concern for others or themselves, is their prayers
are trying to extort something from God. They're trying to pray
to get God to do something. Is that not often how we pray?
We pray asking God to do something. He's done, Joe, whatever He's
pleased. And He's still doing whatever
He pleased. And the judge of the earth always
has been doing right. The old phrase, prayer changes
things, it may change things, but it don't change God. Prayer may change you and your
attitude. That's a good thing if it changes you to bow to the
feet of Christ. Prayer may change you to think
you're gonna get God to do something. It don't work that way. So again, I say not all intent
is always for others, but it's even more than that. Here's the
third thing. Not all intent and or complaint
is misdirected. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter four. Now I realize there's a lot more
to this thing about emotion only versus spiritual concern, that
is concern for other people's souls. I realize there's a lot
more to it than I have time to give you this morning. But again,
I'm telling you, I'm giving you some tidbits from scripture that
are giving us some I don't like the word, but God lies, Joe,
to keep our emotions in check, to make sure the concern we have
is true spiritual concern and not emotion only. Again, not
all intent and or complaint is misdirected. 2 Timothy chapter
four and verse 14, Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil.
The Lord reward him according to his works. but that's not
a positive thing. If this guy, the coppersmith,
did a lot of evil to Paul, and then Paul says, ah, the Lord
reward him according to his works, Alexander the coppersmith, if
God answers that prayer, he's in trouble. But let me tell you
this, now listen. Alexander the coppersmith was
in trouble whether Paul prayed this or not. Do you see what
I'm saying? Paul's prayer didn't cause what
Alexander did to be evil. He's just praying because he's
got no reason to believe this man loved the truth at all. Look,
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil, the Lord reward
him according to his works, of whom be thou aware also. Watch out for him. But I thought
we're supposed to love everybody. He was, he was loving Timothy.
By warning Timothy about this huckster. Do you see what I'm
saying? Of whom be thou where also, for
here it is, for he hath greatly withstood our words. Now let's listen to a few words
of the master himself. Turn to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew
chapter 11. Now this is nothing new. This
has always been in God's book. but our emotions causes us to
think clearly by emotion until God then brings us back to the
book and our emotions are laid flat before God and understood
to be what they really are. They're our emotions and then
we are given true spiritual concern according to the word of God.
Listen to what the master himself prayed. He prayed this. Verse 25 of Matthew 11. At that
time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from
the wise and the prudent. And I'm just gonna stop right
there. He thanked God for it. Do you see that? I rarely find myself praying
such a prayer. Because usually what I'm thinking
or I have concern, it's about someone I care about very deeply.
And I don't like the thought that God may have hid some of
these things from them. Are you gonna be honest this
morning? Boy, I'm glad God hid these things from my kids. No, but the master did. The master did. So again, I'm telling you, all
intent, for or against is not always misdirected. The problem
is when we delve into either one of these, we've got to be
careful because we're not God. We're not God. Here's the fourth thing. We must
consider our intent, whether it's for or against. We must
consider our intent, whether it's for or against, because
we could have concern but we must always acknowledge God's
sovereign purpose in all matters. Now listen to the Master in Matthew
23. And I gotta move to this briefly, because I don't wanna
be too long here this morning. Matthew chapter 23. And actually, Matthew,
if you've ever really studied some of this, Matthew gives some
of the longer messages, or at least, I say longer messages,
gives us more of what Christ said in many of his messages.
Mark, Luke, and John sometimes, Matthew, they're just short messages.
Matthew gives us quite lengthy ones, but look, just to get the
context, Matthew 23, verses, let me find my spot, verses one
through three. Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples,
saying, the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do. But do not
ye after their works, for they say, and do not. Do you see that? So here's the context. If you
start through verse four, and go all the way down to verse
28, you will find this. Over and over, whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa. That's a word of strong, strong
rebuke. It's a word of strong, strong
warning. But then look at verse 29. Woe
unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build
the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchers of the
righteous and say, if we had been in the days of our fathers,
we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the
prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are
the children of them which killed the prophets. You know the old
phrase, don't you? The apple don't fall too far
from the tree. That's what Christ is telling.
You say, if we'd have been alive in the days of our fathers, we
wouldn't have did what our fathers did. All of that rebellion, but
they're admitting these people were their fathers. And everything
brings forth after its own kind. Look. Wherefore ye be witnesses
unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them that killed
the prophets. Next words, fill ye up then the measure of your
fathers. Did you see that? Would you feel good that is for
these people or against these people? That's against these
people. And he's telling them, go ahead
and do what you've been doing. That's why I said, go ahead and
do what you've been doing. Ye serpents, ye generation of
vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell? The answer
is, you can't. Amen. Apart from the free reigning
sovereign grace of God, you can't. Amen. You can't. Wherefore, behold, I send unto
you prophets wise men and scribes, and some of them ye shall kill
and crucify, and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues
and persecute them from city to city, that upon you may come
all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood
of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barakas,
whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto
you, all these things shall come upon this generation You said
that was our Lord's attitude These next words are old Jerusalem
Jerusalem Thou that kill us the prophets and stonest them that
are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children
together Even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings
and ye would not Does anybody think our Lord Jesus Christ is
Just saying words? Somebody says, I don't understand
that. Because you ain't Jesus Christ. You ain't God manifest
in the flesh. It's not up to you and I to be
pronouncing woes and woes and woes upon people. We can pronounce
the woes God has placed upon people, but we don't have the
right to woe anybody. Because we by nature are under
the woe We're guilty of that which brought about the woe.
Do you see that? But when you read something like
this, you try to, okay, how can I explain this Calvinistically?
You ever found yourself doing that? How do I make all this
fit? You can't make it fit in your
mind, because we ain't God manifest in the flesh. But look what he
says, behold, and I don't, our Lord here is not crying tears
if he wish it was different. He is acknowledging it is what
it is, right? It is what it is. Behold, your
house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, ye shall
not see me henceforth till ye shall say, blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus went out and departed
from the temple. So again, I say we must consider
our intent for or against, because we can have concern, but we must
always acknowledge God's sovereign purpose in all things. It's all right to be concerned
for whoever you want to be concerned for. It's all right to pray for
them, that God would save their souls. But we also know that
our Lord said this, and other sheep I have which are not of
this fold, them also I must bring, and there shall be one fold and
one shepherd. So that desire and concern must
be tempered by that truth. If God says no, so be it, Lord. So be it, Lord. A true concern
for others has two main manifestations. Turn to Titus chapter two. main manifestations. Titus chapter
two, verse one, and he gives instruction.
I'm just gonna pass over some of this. He gives instruction
to speak now the things which become sound doctrine. He gives
instruction to aged men, to aged women, to young women and young
men, to servants. He goes on, right? And then he
says this, verse 11, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly
in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and glorious
appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity
and purify himself of peculiar people. Zealous of good works,
these things speak and exhort and rebuke With all authority,
let no man despise thee. Now right there is one of the
places you see of true concern for others. Doing what? Speak,
exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Put them in mind to be subject
to principalities and powers, to obey madresses, to be ready
to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers
but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men, because we were
just like everybody else. I'm paraphrasing that, but that's
what he says. And what made the difference? The mercy and the
grace of God. That's the only thing that made
the difference. I don't even have to, you all know that's
what he wrote there. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his own mercy saved us. His
own mercy has saved us. Look at, that was Titus 2, look
at 2 Timothy 2. What Paul wrote to Timothy. Verse
24, 2 Timothy 2, and the servant of the Lord must not strive. What's that mean? It means to
be quarrelsome. There are some people in this
world, all they want to do is argue. Argue this, argue that, argue
doctrine, point out everybody else's fault. Their whole ministry,
if they have a ministry, is based upon showing everybody where
somebody else is wrong. Always pointing out everybody
else's wrong doctrine, or wrong actions, or whatever it be. The
servant of God must not strive, but be gentle. That means kind. It don't mean he's like a bowl
of jello now. Must be gentle, that is kind
unto all. Apt to teach, that means instructive.
You don't just scream and yell at people, you ought to do this,
you gotta instruct them. Instruct them. Patient, what's
that mean? Enduring the ill will of others.
That's what it means. Patient ain't just being able
to wait. It's being able to wait when you wish you could just
get out of there. It is enduring the ill will of others. In meekness,
look at it. Instructing those that oppose
themselves. If God peradventure will give
them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. You never browbeat
anybody into the kingdom of God. But you don't just sit back and
say, well, whatever will be, will be. If they're one of God's
elect, he'll bring the gospel some way or another. You understand
what I'm saying? Let me tell you this, if you
do, if I do, God will raise up even of the stones. He'll send
his word, but he may set you over here into nothingness. repentance
to the knowledge and the truth, and that they may recover themselves
out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him
at his wheel. But here's the second one. Now
turn to Galatians chapter four. Apart from this one, the first
one means nothing. All the striving, all the lack
of striving, that is lack of quarreling, all the patience,
all the instruction, means nothing apart from this one. Now turn
to Galatians chapter four, and we'll see the phrase, verse 16. Stare down there at that a moment,
look at it, see it? Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell
you the truth? if you don't tell people the
truth. Not just pray, oh God, send them
the truth. What did Isaiah say? Here am
I, send me. You see that? Send me. But when he does send you, you're
gonna tell the truth. And I'm here to say, when you
tell people the truth, They will not like it, especially at first. Tell the truth. Tell the truth
about who God is. Tell the truth about who Christ
is. Tell the truth about who man is. Tell the truth about
what the law is. All of it. Tell the truth. If you lie to somebody, it's
no different than if you keep silent. because it is tell the truth. Emotion that abandons or avoids
truth is emotion only. I don't care how sweet and gentle
you are. I don't care how giving you are. I don't care how instructing
you are. If you don't tell people the truth about God and about
themselves, it's all emotion. But true spiritual concern dangers
the loss of respect, the loss of reputation, and the loss of
comfort to instruct men in the truth of the gospel of Christ.
If you really care about somebody, you'll tell them the truth, even
if it means they never love you again. Or you don't love them. It's
that simple, Joe. But it's that hard to live. Now,
you heard what I said. Oh, I can think real well about
myself. And it's easy when I'm standing behind this desk. It's
easy for me to sound like, well, Walter just tells the truth.
It's different when you walk out that door. Dang it. When
you're out there in the world, Joe, it's a little bit different.
Aren't you glad God works in us, both the will and the do
of his good pleasure? Aren't you glad God didn't leave it
up to us? Because nobody'd ever be saved. Let's say Paul did
say, okay, I still want to go to hell so all of my Jewish brothers
and sisters can be saved. Guess how many Jewish brothers
and sisters that's going to save? Not a one. So you got to have
your concern in the right path. Now, what did we read? That song,
I'm just going to read it to you. And I picked that one for
a reason. 110 in the old school Brethren,
we've met to worship and adore the Lord our God. Will you pray
with all your power while we try to what? Preach the word.
All is vain unless the spirit of the Holy One comes down. Let
us pray that holy manna may be showered all around. Look and
see poor mourners around you, fearing, trembling as they go,
longing for a consolation. Will you comfort them or no?
I fully understand that most people are not mourners. So what
ought we to pray for? That God brings them down. Blessed
are they that mourn. Bring them down. Let us tell
them of the Savior. Tell them that he will be found.
Let us pray that holy manna may be showered all around. Is there
here a trembling jailer, seeking peace and filled with tears?
Is there here a weeping Mary, pouring forth a flood of tears?
Let us join our prayers to help them. Let our faith and love
abound. Let us pray that holy manna may
be showered all around. Let us love our God supremely.
Let us love each other too. Let us love and pray for mourners
till their Savior they can view. Then we'll love them still the
better. Take them to our kind embrace. Journey with them on
the glory. There to sing redeeming grace. Heavenly Father, bless us as
we leave this place. We all go about our daily lives,
and we pray for Sandy, and also pray for the Fortners, for Ray,
especially, and we've got that flu. Lord, just be with him,
and comfort him, and be with Paul and Paula as they travel.
We pray it in Christ's name, amen.