Alright, Zechariah chapter 8.
Maybe just hold your place there now that you found that and go
to Isaiah 61. I knew that would be the hardest. Isaiah 61 and verse 4, And they
shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the waste cities, the desolation of many
generations. And verse 6, ye shall be named
the priests of the Lord. Men shall call you the ministers
of our God. And you shall eat the riches
of the Gentiles in their glory, shall you boast yourselves. In
other words, Jerusalem and other cities are going to be rebuilt.
They have been desolate cities, old wasteland cities. When those
cities are rebuilt, they're going to be rebuilt by the people of
God. And you shall be called the priests of the Lord, the
ministers of our God, and you shall eat the riches of the Gentiles. Now, in the book of Zechariah
chapter 8, And my text verse is verse 5, And the streets of
the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets
thereof. And the streets of the city.
In this case, Pontiac. And the streets of the city shall
be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. Let's back up
just a little bit to verse 4. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
There shall yet old men and women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem,
and every man with his staff in his hand for a very age. The streets of the city shall
be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus
saith the Lord of hosts, if it be marvelous in the eyes of the
remnant of this people in these days, Should it also be marvelous
in mine eyes, saith the Lord of hosts." You probably already
sense to some degree where I'm going. The Gospel is a restorer
of cities. And I think it's quite apropos
to find that in the verses that I've read from Zechariah, the
two most abused classes of people are found in these verses. The agent. most abused, and children,
boys and girls. And it says something very striking,
that the old men and women will feel safe. They're on their canes,
their crutches, hobbling around, but they're sitting in the street.
They're feeling safe and comfortable to go out of their houses. And
boys and girls are playing in the street. God sent Zechariah,
his preacher, with a promise that Jerusalem should be rebuilt. God sent that promise by His
preacher. And I'm promising you that Pontiac is going to be rebuilt.
And you are going to be the main player in being used of God to
bring this city back. But what happened here in the
book of Zechariah may happen with us here to some degree.
And I think we'll see that as we go along here. But think about
this. Instead of folks being murdered
in the streets of Jerusalem by thugs, old men and old women
dwell in the streets. The Bible says in verse 12 of
this chapter, there's going to be a great increase in the economy
of Jerusalem. And this promise that was made
by the preacher, a promise and a word from God made by the preacher,
this promise startled the people. It startled them. In fact, it
seemed too good to be true. It was past believing. They didn't say, and you'll notice
this, they didn't say the promise wasn't true. They just were not
honest enough to say what they were thinking. You may be that
way today. I say, God says He's going to
use us to bring Pontiac back. And you go, well, that would
be nice. But what you're really thinking
is, that ain't going to happen. That's the way the people of
God are. Oftentimes, we just aren't honest about the promises
of God. Many times we just don't believe
the Word of God. We say things like, how can these
things be? We live in a city of 35% unemployment. We live in a city with thousands
and thousands of repossessed houses. We live in a city where
we have two police cars that patrol our streets, a population
of 66,000 people. We live in a city of boarded
up houses. We live in a city where gangs
are rampant. We live in a city where drugs
are prominent. We're a small Detroit. How can
the city rise from its ashes? We might say things like this,
you know, it would be a marvelous thing if Pontiac came back. We're
covering something up though. I didn't say it would be a marvelous
thing. I said, God is going to use us
to bring this city back. I see it now. I know it. I am
absolutely positive now that God... I've been saying this
for 25 years. One day, we will be the hammer
that builds the city. We say things like this. It would
just be a wonderful, wonderful thing. But in our mind, we haven't
embraced it. Are you still with me? You understand
what I'm saying? I know we think this way. You go like this. That would be great, Pastor.
But in your head, you're thinking it ain't going to happen. It's
not going to happen. We're so religious, we won't
say God can't do that. We wouldn't say that. But we
think that. I mean, really, I've been preaching
for five or six Sundays now from Ephesians 3. And I wonder how
many of us really believe what I've been preaching, that God
is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
Is God able to bring this city back or not? Is God able to use
a bunch of roughnecks like us, sleazebags that have been saved
by the grace of God, and turn this city upside down? Is God
able to do that? My God is able. I'm not talking
about a nice little community development program of a suburbanite
church. I'm talking about pimps and prostitutes
and self-righteous Pharisees who've been saved by the grace
of God, who believe they have a big God, and that He's able
to do what He says He will do. So I want us to stop this, you
know. It would be a marvelous thing.
I hear what you're saying, preacher. But you ain't believing what
I'm saying. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. I was
just looking out across this crowd. Until our kids got out
of here, we couldn't put too many more folks in here. We need
a bigger building. We're outgrowing this one. We're
going to see some tremendous things. I was studying this passage
of Scripture, verse 8. It says, Thus saith the Lord
of hosts, If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of
this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in mine
eyes, saith the Lord of hosts?" Now, I want to tell you what
that means. This is the only instance in the entire Bible
in which the word difficult occurs in the King James Version. And
in this case, it's found in the margin. Maybe some of you have
it center margin of your Bible. Marvelous is translated difficult. And we might read it this way. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
if it be difficult in the eyes of the remnant of this people
in these days, should it also be difficult in mine eyes? Now
it gives some understanding. You say it's difficult. In your
eyes, it looks difficult. But do you think it looks difficult,
saith the Lord God, in my eyes? Do you think God looks upon Pontiac
as an unconquerable city? Do you think God says that can
never happen? Do you feel like God has broke
out in a sweat when I announced that He's going to use us to
bring the city back? Do you think God is pacing back
and forth? They're out of control. The preacher's
making promises that I myself cannot keep. God doesn't do that. How big is your God? The reason
some of us see so little is because we do not believe
God. Amen? We really don't. We talk like it, but we don't
think like it. Do you in your innermost brain
believe that God is a miracle working God? Do you want to cross
the Red Sea dry shod? Do you want to walk on water?
I do. I have a God who walked on water.
I have a God who parted the Red Sea. That God is not dead. That God is still alive today.
And that God is able. One of our biggest problems is
we don't venture out on faith. We walk by sight and live by
sight and not by faith. You can't even please God unless
you trust Him, unless you believe His Word. No wonder life is boring
and dull for you. No wonder the churches are dead
and cold. We try to organize and try to
make it happen rather than believing that God is able to do it and
have a God who is able. I want to tell you this about
your own life. Always put the word difficult
into the margin of your life. Because greater is He that's
in me than he that's in the world. I can do all things through Christ
that strengtheneth me. And for addicts, it's a very
small thing, this crack cocaine. To God. It may not be to you.
Some of you here may be taking the position that you are beyond
hope. Oh no! Oh no! No, no, no, no. Heroin is no match for the God
of the Bible. Cocaine is no match for the God
of the Bible. And I'm going to tell you, we
are proof. I believe that this is a day
that calls for demonstration. You know, if you're going to
sell tide, you get a shirt with stain in it, and you put the
tide on it and put it in the washer, and it comes out and
the stain is gone. I want to tell you, the blood
of Christ goes deeper than the stain has gone. There is a power,
power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb.
And everything we do here ought to be a demonstration that our
God is a mighty God. He's not a dead God. There's too much of God in the
Bible for difficulties to live in it. Difficulties don't live
in the Bible. God crowds out difficulties. People are always saying to me,
now, I know, Pastor, you're one of these faith guys, but now
we've got to use wisdom here. Don't put wisdom in the place
of faith. Brother, when God pushes my button,
I'm going. I'm going to lead this church
in a faith walk. This is no place for cowards.
If you're scared, hop out. Kind of linger behind, mosey
back. Some of us are going to be marching
into enemy territory. We're not going to hold the fort.
We're going to take the fort. And I know this too, where God
gives vision, He gives provision. Well, how are we going to build
that $500,000? How are we going to buy this building? We bought
this building with pennies, quarters. We bought this building with
quarters. We raised $275,000 in 13 months and paid cash for
this building with little tiny quarters. That learning center
that many of you graduated from upstairs, we raised 33 million
pennies and just totally remodeled that thing. God is into the little
things. God takes the loaves and the
fishes and uses them to the praise of His glory. You know what people
say? You mean you bought that building
with quarters? You mean you did that learning center with pennies?
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And we praise God for
it. I know difficulties pop up now
and then because of unbelief. But where God manifests Himself,
difficulties vanish. All I need is for God to show
up. That's all I need. That's all I need. Well, well,
well, well, we had lots of relapse the past couple of weeks. We
had lots of mess with our kids the last couple of weeks. All
I need is for God to show up. And I know this, God has showed
up and the devil doesn't like it. You know, the devil is just well
pleased with us sitting back, folks, doing nothing, excited
about nothing. No praise, no glory, no honor,
no taking Seneca Street, no taking Moreland Street. Actually, 25
years ago, When I first came here, I started talking about
community development. Two or three years ago, we started
to outline the campus. I said, I want to go out the
side door and everywhere I can look around this building, that's
going to be our campus. So you see this black line? That's
our campus. Do we have it? No, but that's
the promised land. We're picking them off one at
a time. People are always saying to me, don't buy no more houses,
Pastor. Don't buy no more houses, Pastor. Pastor, don't you buy
no more houses. You're already in debt over your head. I know.
But my God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think. And you need a house. I want
to show off God. You need a house. You've been
a crackhead for 25 years and don't have a pot. You need a
house. You need a house. You need a
car. You need your driver's license.
You need to throw your shoulders back. I'm a child of the King
with Jesus, my Savior. I'm a child of the King. I'm
not a pauper. Quit talking about being in aftercare
and talk about I'm in His care. Thank God. Though we believe
not, He's faithful. You know God's faithful even
when you don't believe. You know, I'm positive that God
is going to use Grace Gospel Fellowship in this city. I'm
positive that He already has. You know, I want to tell you
things like this. Yesterday, our volunteers, you
know we have over 10,000 volunteers a year. that come from the outside to
our community, to the community of Grace Gospel Fellowship. Ten
thousand volunteers. Yesterday, our volunteers, after
clearing the weeds, were planting flowers taken from our flower
beds and planting them in the flower beds of the Pontiac police
station where weeds had grown up. And there were no flowers. It was that same police force
that 200 of us marched on after they had viciously raided the
mission. And I stood in front of that building where the flower
beds were and begged the police chief and the mayor to come out
Because the police had said to our folks after they raided the
mission, we'll be back. If you come back, we'll be back.
We'll get you. Our folks were scared. I said, they won't have
to come and get us. Let's go to them. So we emptied
the mission, about 200 of us, marched down Saginaw Street over
to the police station and said, here we are. Police chief wouldn't come out.
Mayor wouldn't come out. So we found out where he was
and me and the men of grace went to him over to Marriott. That's
the same police force. Same police force that handcuffed
a six-year-old in the big dorm, the women's dorm. A police force
that took coats off of the backs of our men and stepped on their
coats. A police force that handcuffed some of our men so tightly that
they had to be taken to the hospital that afternoon. I would say God
has done something here. Now we're planting flowers in
their flower beds. We're beautifying their police
station. Isn't that something? Twenty-five years ago, I invited
the police force in to the old Pontiac rescue mission because
I didn't want it to be a hideout. It's not about hiding out. Grace
Gospel Fellowship is not about being a hideout. for drug addicts. We're about, if any man be in
Christ, he's a new creature. Old things have passed away and
behold, all things have become new. We're about getting people
back into the mainstream where they're voting citizens, taxpaying
citizens, owning their own house, having a valid driver's license,
getting their life back and giving God glory. That's what we're
about here. That's what we're about. For years, I've heard that Pontiac
is the armpit of Oakland County. I've been told that Pontiac Rescue
Mission was the magnet that draws the homeless, that we're the
cause of all Pontiac's troubles. But I think it's very clear now
that we're not the cause of the trouble. This city's $10 million
in debt. They brought all the buyers in.
I can remember when they sold the old church building. You
know, I was at that meeting at City Hall objecting to the sale
of Sankham for sanctum to become the owner of the old Congregational
Church building. You know, in about 1945, they met there to
protest the selling of alcohol by the glass. They met in that
old Congregational Church building. Now it's a bar. But I went to
City Hall. We were trying to buy clutch
cargo years and years ago. Only one clutch cargo then. The
pastor was... the church split and we were
trying to... I was trying to buy it. and also protesting that
you're going to put a bar 52 feet from the front door of Pontiac
Rescue Mission. Got up there and that preacher
in the city council meeting, that preacher who was trying
to sell the building got right in my face and yelling and screaming
and they're pounding the gavel trying to get him to sit down
and finally people have to get, you know, I remember lots of
things that have happened. over a period of years. It hasn't
been a walk in the park. It hasn't been a Sunday school
picnic here. They'd like to have a riot up
there that night. And then Sanctum got the old
church building. And I watched them as they moved
the old organ out and the pews out. And they remodeled that
beautiful little chapel that they had there in that building.
I watched them as they did that. One night, I was out there by
myself and nobody watching. And I held up my hand and I said,
I'm claiming it. I don't have it yet, but I claimed
it a long time ago. At least at some point, I think
we're going to have authority. I believe this. At some point,
it ain't going to be a bar. At some point. I said, well,
Pastor, you know, what is the point? The point is simply this. Our
God is able. And I want you to believe with
me that we are players here in this game of God taking over
this city. I want you to believe that. I've
been in downtown business meetings where my name was a curse word.
I was an outcast, an unwelcome. I've been in there where I've
been pleading with them. We can cooperate together. Other cities
have done. Philadelphia has done this with
the rescue mission there. Cleveland has done this with
the rescue mission there. We can work together and make
a difference in this city. I pleaded with the businessmen
and nothing happened until God brought down the city. God didn't
bring us down. We're still there. In fact, instead
of them throwing us out, we now own the building that they tried
to throw us out of. We own it. Thirty-five years
on, we own. It is always constant amazement
to me to find out that we're the best kept secret in Oakland
County. Those business people, you know,
the first meeting was, we thought all those bus people were your
people. Oh no, we don't live like that. We take them down
Seneca Street and they go, this is absolutely unbelievable. And there are business people
here in Pontiac, but didn't know. Didn't know. They only knew what
they had heard. We've got to become more visible.
We're going to become more visible. Now they're asking us, if we
buy you uniforms and shirts and so forth and so forth, will you
help clean up the city? I said, well, our guys and gals
are already doing that. We're already cleaning up. But
we'll make more of an effort. Say, well, pastor, pastor, pastor,
pastor. Don't pastor me. I want to show
off what God can do. I want people to see that our
God is a mighty God. And I want you to believe that
this city can be turned around by a sovereign God. And yes,
charge. I want you to get to that place.
I want you to think about becoming a servant. Let's make this a
better city. All of you who are not registered
to vote, you have just a few more months. Register. We ought
to be voting votes. Say, well, America's in bad shape. If you don't vote, don't talk. If you want change, you know,
go register to vote. I know probably some of you are
saying, you know, I went over there to the house of God and
he preached the social gospel. Well, just so you don't say that
now, I want to talk to you about the real stuff. You know, many
of us reason just like these folks here in Zachariah. If it
be difficult in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these
days, should it be difficult in my eyes, saith the Lord? Carnal
reasoning. It's too difficult. It will never
be performed. It is marvelous in our eyes.
It will never happen. That's the way people talk. Do
you know, if you don't believe in miracles, you're not much
of a Christian. In fact, there is no room for
you in Christianity. If you are saved, you are a walking,
talking miracle. Do you know what people say to
me? People are always saying this. Oh, you're over there with
those people. You know those people. Those
people, there's no hope for those people. Let me just tell you
this. Maybe this will soothe you a
little bit, us inner city folks. Do you know about 65% of the
American people are on prescription drugs? Ha! You know, we talk about crack
and heroin. But you know that nice little
suburbanite couple that live in Troy are popping pills. The number one addiction in America
is prescription drugs. So all the suburbanite folks,
don't be talking about us, inner-city folks. Don't be talking like
those people. The pharmacia is everywhere.
Here's what we preach here. That a man or woman, in a moment,
can receive forgiveness for 50 years of drug use. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye. You can be changed. You can become
a new creature in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. Your
chains can fall off this morning. You can never use heroin again
or crack again or alcohol again. Today, it could happen to you
because we believe in God. Paranormal reasoning. The last
thing God wants you to believe is this. The last thing the devil
wants you to believe is this, that God is able. Maybe you're here trembling and
in your head you have thought there is no hope. Maybe you've
been in and out of church and you've seen church fights and
splits and fusses and you've given up on church because the
preacher has run away with some woman and the youth director
is a homosexual You know, you've just given up on church and in
your time of trouble there was nowhere to turn to except, you
thought, to sedating your problems. I want to tell you the God of
the Bible is alive and He is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that you ask or think. Here's the correct reasoning.
This is the way you and I ought to think. Is anything too hard
for the Lord? Who alone doeth great wonders?
You can't read your Bible without seeing a God who does wonders. One of the passages that I've
loved for years goes like this, Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow
I will do wonders. Set yourself apart today, for
tomorrow I'm going to do wonders. I believe those wonders are coming.
I'm suspect of Thursday evening. I was suspect this morning that God could break out in here.
I'm waiting for God to break out. I am waiting for people
to fall on their face while I'm preaching, crying out for mercy. God, have mercy on me, the sinner. You know, God's been a stranger
for quite a while. God hasn't been talking. Some
of you in here are not real sure, even though you've been church
all your life. But you haven't heard from God in 20 years. You're
just kind of coasting through life, waiting to die, and hope
you make it. If there is a God, I hope I make
it. But you haven't talked to Him
in a long, long time. My God is real, for I can feel
Him deep in my heart. The other thing is that we underestimate
the God of the Bible. You're judging God as if He were
like yourself. When you say things like this,
you know, it would be a marvelous thing. And then you just go on
your way. Really, you're saying, it's a
difficult thing. I hope it happens kind of. And
you go your way and don't judge God by yourself. It isn't going
to happen with you. In fact, I think it's the bottom
of our pride which makes us judge the Lord to be like ourselves.
Of course, it's impossible. for us to change Pontiac, but
not for our God. Of course it's impossible. We've
got one little street here, own about 70% of it, and then we're
trying to get over there on Moreland where all the drug use is, and
trying for you to become a homeowner. You know, I've been working at
this 25 years, but you know what? A million years is as one day
with God. Twenty-five years isn't anything.
I've watched God, like a snail. God is in no hurry. I am because
I'm running out of years. But God is in no hurry. But I
think I'm going to see something big here real soon. I don't think
He's going to let me go without the big bang. I think I'm going
to see the big bang. I think I'm going to see, you
know, I've longed for a church like this all my life. This is not an accident. I remember
as a young preacher boy, single, up in my attic room with Oscar
the Rat and Hoffman the Rat living up there. You know, Hoffman saw
me many times on the floor saying, there's got to be more to it
than this. I was taking Greek class and Hebrew class and Bible
classes, but it seemed like that God was dead. And I cried out,
oh God, for years I've been longing for a revival, for a renewing,
for God to speak out of heaven, for God to come down and speak
to us. And I think it's going to happen.
I'm about there. I'm about there. I am a believer
from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. Every struggle
that we have here, I think it's almost time. It's almost time. Man, this has been a hell of
a two weeks. And you know what I mean by that.
Those of you who are visiting may not, but we've had two weeks
of hell. That means heaven is getting
close. God is about to break out and destroy the enemy. What God promises, He can perform. Do you think God does not know
His own strength? He said, I purposed it, I will
also do it. That's what God says. You ever
think about the little things? How great God is even in little
things? You know, God is great in little
things. You ever looked at the eye of a spider under a microscope? It's an amazing thing. All of
you go get a microscope and look at the eye of a spider. You know
who made that eye? God Almighty. or the petal of a flower, or the butterfly in the garden,
or a blood vessel. One blood vessel is an amazing
thing. If you make it a rule to disbelieve
the marvelous, then you've got to abandon altogether the religion
of Jesus Christ. If you go through life like this,
it's difficult. It's difficult. It's difficult. For those of you who know that
Grace Centers is our outreach program here, this is our missionary
effort. We're going into all the world.
We're after the homeless and the addicted. We're a church
outside the walls of this building. We're going into the highways
and hedges and compelling men to come in. We're saying there's
a gospel feast. Come and dine, sinner. Come and
dine, sinner. We're saying that Jesus Christ
receives sinful men. And it takes about $16,000 a
day to keep us going. You know, our development team,
you know how the economy is. You know how the economy is right
now. This week, you know, We're having trouble with the golf
outing. I want to say to this church, you know, we've got,
I think, two sponsors and one golfer. And he may be a goofer
like me when it comes to golf. But I'm going to tell you something.
We're going to have a golf outing. You know why? God is able. We
need that $20,000, $30,000 from that golf outing. We're going
to have a golf outing. Well, you know the economy. Baloney
on the economy! My God rules over the economy. And you know what? I meet people
every day that are still millionaires in this economy. And they can
afford to play golf. God is a God of means. The softball
tournament, all of the things that we do, the car raffle, everything
that we do, our God is able. If God's in it, it's going to
come to pass. I am not going to back up. And
I expect when I turn around and look that you're right behind
me. People say, I got your back.
I look back, they got way back. They got my back. Way, way back
they got my back. I want you right behind me. And
whatever we do here, we do to the glory of God. I want you
in it. I don't want you to be a Sunday morning religious person
that just drives over here to church. Roll up your sleeves
and spit on your hands and get in the battle. Let's talk about
that daycare. Let's build the daycare. Let's
have the golf outing. Let's raise the money. Our God
is able. He is a God of means, and He's
going to use these things. Let's buy the rest of Seneca
Street. Let's think that way. It'll all
be ours one day. It'll be our campus right there.
Let's talk about, let's come up with a plan how we're going
to be the number one player here in the city of Pontiac. Pontiac,
you know what? I don't know what the count is
now. It's probably gone up. But 15 years ago, we had 400
churches in Pontiac. And let's say it has gone up.
Let's say there's 475 now. They're not doing much. They're
not doing much. This must be a church where this
city knows something's going on here. Good for this city.
Good for the economy. Good for the neighborhood. Good. I believe this. You get a person
saved, you've got a better family, you've got a better neighborhood,
you've got a better county, you've got a better state, you've got
a better America. And I want you to quit relapsing.
The Bible says this in the book of Acts. You know, this is a depressed
city. You just drive through this city. It'll make you depressed. And most suburbanites will not
come up here at night, and I don't blame them. But that ought to
be turned around. There ought to be little cottage
homes, grass mowed, houses painted, and people ought to say, what's
going on over there? Oh, it's a God thing. It's a God thing. It's impossible. Very difficult
what they're doing over there. Very difficult. Because they
don't receive any federal dollars. They have a $3 million budget,
and Pastor Clark says he doesn't know where it comes from except
from God. Pastor Clark runs all over the
country saying it takes $16,000 a day, and he can't explain it.
He gives a one-word explanation. There's a mighty God. My God
is a mighty God. Men of Grace are right on the
verge to becoming a top-known group in this country and maybe
in the world, where we can point to them and say, once they were
lost, but now they're found, and they have a big God. We're going to rap it. We're
going to country-western it. We're going to drum it. We're
going to sax it. We're going to tell it wherever
we are. Wherever the gospel goes, it's
good news, it's glad tidings, and it brings joy. There shouldn't
be depression in this city. There ought to be joy. You can
have joy on beans and cornbread. You can shout to God and smile
and dress clean and smell good in bad economic times. And we
can turn the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I know we can do it. I know we can do it. I want you
to think about this. When you think about the gospel,
everything is impossible about the gospel. I mean, it's a difficult
thing. The gospel is a difficult thing.
You ever thought about this? The infinite becomes an infant. Now you explain that. That's
a difficult thing. Almighty God condescends into
this world. Isn't that a miracle? Isn't that
awesome that God would so love the likes of us to come down
the stairway of heaven and live among us and die in our room
and in our stead and take our place and bear our sins away? Isn't that something? that God
Almighty would so love you, He would send His only begotten
Son to Calvary's cross, and God would pour out His wrath upon
him in your place and in your stead. All of your fornicating,
your adultery, your using, your lasciviousness, your lust, your
stealing, your ugliness were put on Jesus Christ. God did
that, and God punished him. And you go free! Isn't that something? Isn't that marvelous? Isn't that
wonderful? Isn't that awesome? Have you ever thought about this?
One of these days you're going to die. And we're going to bury
you in the ground. But every one of you who are
Christian are up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph
for His foe. Isn't that something? Difficult. We don't use difficult when we
think about our God. That is not in His vocabulary. He's gone to prepare a place
for us. Aren't you glad you don't live down here forever? You know,
we ought to be like the little boy who was taken out of the
hood to a mansion, a glorious house. We'll say in gross point. And when he went into the house,
he said, What a house this is for a person to live in. And the person who was taking
him on the tour said, bless you, son, this is only the kitchen.
Some of you are living in the kitchen. You haven't even got
to the house yet. You haven't got to the living room yet. You
haven't been in the dining room yet. We need to keep climbing
Jacob's Ladder. There are glories you haven't
even experienced yet. And even the ones we know about.
You know, when you read and when you contemplate, and the Word
became flesh, both your hands ought to automatically go up
in the air. There ought to be somehow or another we've lost
the shout. We've just lost the shout. We
get excited about the The craziest things. Just the craziest things. If you could just somehow enter
in just a little bit to this. God came all the way down here
for me. God so loved me. Now, you know
you. You're a hypocrite. You're a
liar. You're full of lust. You're self-centered. You know your past. You know
your history. You know the real you. For the
likes of you, unreasonable, stubborn, arrogant, unbelieving, don't
give thanks for what you have, always complaining that He came
down here for the likes of you. You're just spitting in His face.
Ignoring Him. Not acknowledging Him. Not thanking
Him for every blessing. For the clothes on your back.
For the breakfast you had this morning. Just complaining, complaining,
complaining. You're able to take a deep breath
and breathe. Have some oxygen that feeds your
brain. Thank you, Lord. You know what
the Scripture says. You're never going to repent
until you see the goodness of God, because it's the goodness
of God that leads you to repentance. I hope someone here gets just
a good dose today of the goodness of God. You will repent. You will say, oh, I've been an
ungrateful wretch. I haven't been in your house
for years. I have not acknowledged you.
I have wandered far from home. Lord, I've left you. Today I'm
coming home. Not much is going to happen until
the church is caught up in the wonder of this truth. We're going
to be like this. Nah, it can't happen. No. We're going to be religious
talkers. You know, that's nice, yeah? That would be nice. It
would be a nice thing. You know, if God would, it would
be nice. I want to do this. And this is
what I ask God on a daily basis. Just use me to show you off. Just use me. And every house
that the church buys or the sinner buys or I personally buy, Ms.
Pam and I, this is my prayer. Now God, I want this to be Your
will and I want it to be for Your glory. I never buy a suit
with two pairs of pants. You know why? I can only wear
one at a time. My point is this. I already have a house. I don't
need another house. I'm not into the real estate
business. But I am after proving a point that when God saves a
person, they become good stewards. They don't bounce checks. They pay their bills. They learn
to manage their money. And they do it all for the glory
of God. They buy a house and God gives
them enough money through using the means. And they say something
like this, God gave me that house. God did that for me. God not
only saved my soul, but He's helping me through life. I'm
having a little heaven on the way to heaven. And people point
at you and go, I remember you when you were a crackhead. You
sure are different now. What's the story on you? Once
I was lost, but now I'm found. Once I was blind, but now I see. I've got a God thing going on
in me. And they give Him glory. The chief end of man is to glorify
God. Everything we do here must have this one goal. To demonstrate
that there is a God who is alive and that He's powerful and He's
mighty and He changed me. And I live to His glory. That's
why my house is painted. That's why my lawn is mown. That's
why I dress this way. That's why I take a bath and
clean up myself. That's why the dog knows I'm
saved. The cat knows I'm saved. Used
to, the dog wouldn't get around me, afraid I'd kick him. The
cat, yeah, meows now at my feet. Mama knows I'm saved. The babies
know I'm saved. I'm saved. People at work know
I'm saved. People know something happened.
Brother Barnard, I'll let you go with this story. Brother Barnard
was preaching somewhere in Texas and a bank president got saved.
He was in his 60s, nearly ready to retire, nearly 65 years of
age. He'd had the same secretary for
40-some years. Her name was Judy. Brother Barnard
used to tell people when they got saved, Brother Barnard used
to go, I don't tell anybody. Brother Barnard used to say,
don't tell anybody. Let them see a difference in you. Let
them ask you. Judy was taking dictation from
this bank president one day. The president of the bank looked
up and big tears were rolling down her face. The president of the bank said,
Judy, what's wrong? Is it something I said? She said,
no, sir. I want to know what has happened
to you, something different about you. Don't back people in the corner,
try to get them saved. Don't be trying to push Jesus
off on people. Let people see Jesus in you.
Let people ask you, why are you so happy? What is it about you? What do you have that I don't
have? I want what you have. You know, I've had people say
this to me. Out of nowhere, people say this to me. Give me some
of that. I go, what? Gum? I'm chewing gum? No. What is it? Christians ought
to smile more. Be polite and nice and kind to
one another. So people see Christ in you and
want what you have. It's true. It's true. It's very true. I've kind of
wandered today. I hope you're thinking, though. I hope you get on board with
me. I hope next Sunday when you come to the house of God, that
you're thinking, Lord, you're praying for this. Break out up
there. Darren will be preaching Sunday.
I'll be in Danville, Kentucky with Men of Grace preaching at
Emmanuel Baptist Church. If he breaks out here while I'm
gone, I'm going to shut this place down when I get back. No,
that'll be all right. That'll be all right. Because
if he breaks out here, it'll get to Kentucky. He can get to
Kentucky really fast. It'll just make me want to get
home quicker. Maybe it'll break out down there. Maybe we can bring him back.
Why don't you bring him with you next Sunday? Why don't you
say, Holy Spirit, now I'm getting ready to go over there. I'm a
mess. Indwellment. What if we had 300 people bring
the Holy Spirit in here with them? What do you think would
happen if we were in one accord on the Lord's day in this place? That little heroin addict over
there who's prostituted herself, she'd get saved. That's what
would happen. That crackhead over here. would
get saved. That's what would happen. We'd
see the power of God. Those of us who are maybe backslidden
and cold and indifferent, we'd be revived and revitalized and
reinvigorated. There would be a shout in our
soul. I pray that happens. I want that to happen. I want
God to show up. I want God to show Himself where
there is no doubt in anybody's mind in this congregation. We
serve a living God. He's in the world today. Let's
stand and sing together.