I want to get right to the point this morning. I want to beat around the bush. Why are you here? Why do you bother to come to
church? Is your day off? There are so many other things you
could be doing, probably things you enjoy doing,
and maybe to some, things you'd rather be doing. So why come? Why come? Most people, if not all, have something they're obsessed
with, something they're taken up with totally. And nearly everyone
has something that they pursue, and they usually give everything
that they are and everything they have to pursuing this. All
their time, energy, and efforts to pursue whatever it is that
they're taking up with. Most people have something. Whether
it be fame, money, houses, cars, lands, a marriage, career, hobbies,
whatever it may be. Most people give their everything
to pursue one thing. Let me use an illustration. Let
me use sports, for instance. We're in a sports mad and crazy
society. Everyone is just plumb berserk
over their given sport that they enjoy. Let me use this sport
running as an example. There are millions of people
out there who are obsessed with this thing of jogging and running.
You know, you see them everywhere. And they usually go to great
lengths and suffer sometimes real hardships to do this thing
called jogging or running. You see them out there in the
rain, shine, snow, whatever. They're obsessed with this thing
called jogging or running. And most of them never compete
in a race or any kind of contest at all. They just simply love
or are crazy about running. Running. But in this this hobby
or sport there are some people who are very serious about it.
Very serious about running. They race, they enter into contests
and so forth, and there's nothing they would like more, nothing
that would thrill them more for the rest of their lives than
to enter a race and win that race. To have that laurel or
gold medal or whatever it is placed upon them for winning
that race. I read an interesting article some time ago. I may
have already related this to you, but I'll tell it to you
again. I read a survey that they did with several Olympic athletes,
hopeful, Olympic hopefuls, people that were trying out for the
Olympics, and they asked them this question. The surveyor said,
if you knew that by taking steroids that you would win a gold medal,
but you would die a year later. Would you continue to take them? And do you know that the greatest
majority of those athletes said, yes. Gold medal. Gold medal. Nothing that they desired more.
Well, there's something I desired to have. Look at 1 Corinthians 9 with
me, verse 24. The Apostle Paul uses this illustration. He says, and if you don't look
at the Scriptures, you have nothing to appeal to. 1 Corinthians 9,
verse 24. Know ye not that they which run
in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain. Now, I don't know, I ask that
question. I don't know everyone's reason for being here, but you
are here. Apparently, you have at least
a nominal interest in religious things, in the Bible, religion,
whatever, or you would not be here. You would be doing something
else. Now I've said this before, there
are basically three types of church goers, people, three types
of people that attend an organized religious service like you're
in this morning. Listen to me. Three types. First
of all, there is the indifferent. Now these people really don't
know why they're here. They're perhaps like young people,
teenagers, they're forced to come. children, their parents
bring them, they're forced to come. And if they had their say
in the matter, they wouldn't show up. They're indifferent
to religious things, really not interested, but they're here
at any rate. And perhaps like some of these
runners that I mentioned a while ago, things look a little bit
interesting to them, so they try it, but they soon grow tired
and soon grow weary and soon lose interest. And if they can
get out of this thing by looking pretty good, they'll be gone
tomorrow. That's the indifferent. Then,
secondly, there's the socially religious. There's a lot of people
like that today. I hope not many in here, but
socially religious. There's those that are taken
up with religion. Taken up with it. And many intellectual
people that Enjoy intellectual pursuits, and one of those is
spiritual pursuits. You know, it's interesting, things
you don't know much about. The Bible seems to be deep. Let's
be taken up with it. Let's look into it. Mysterious
things. And there's those that love to
come to church. They feel religious, feel good
about themselves. Besides, it's good for your image.
You can tell your boss and everybody that you go to church, and they'll
be impressed. It might win you some favor. And like one who runs, one of
these runners, perhaps they become infatuated with this religion
that they're somewhat interested in. Become infatuated with it,
and like some runners, they go out and buy several jogging suits,
buy all the latest books on running, you know. Start running, religiously. Running. Maybe even enter a race
or two. I see some people out there running.
I see some people who have been running for years, and apparently
it's not doing them a bit of good. You know what I mean. You've
probably seen them. People say, I've seen that guy.
I saw that guy last year. He doesn't look like he's dropped
a pound. Why is he doing that? And you can ask the same thing
about churchgoers. I saw, you know, he doesn't seem
to be changing his or her life. Why are they doing that? But they, too, eventually grow
weary, and if something better comes along, or if they lose
their running partner, they quit running. And then thirdly, and boy, I
hope by the grace of God you're in this third category, churchgoers. There's the true seeker after
God Almighty, seeking to know and win Christ. Those who have
their mind, their heart, their affection set on things above,
where Christ sits at the right hand of God, that they might
know him, might win Christ and be found in him, not having their
own righteousness, not having their own silly, self-righteous,
religious notion, but knowing him, this real person, being
found in him in the end at the judgment. Like serious runners,
you know, they've got one goal. That's to obtain the prize. That's
what he said here. They which run in a race, everybody's running
in this race, yet the one who receives the prize, who? The
man who crosses the finish line. The prize. And these people,
these fanatical runners, they want nothing more than to win
a race, to cross that finish line, and the one who has seen
the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ wants nothing more than
to know Him. I mean, they're not going to
be taken up with silly religious games. Somebody that really has
seen the beauty of Christ and seen their sinful souls, seen
their need of mercy and grace at the hands of this holy God,
they're not going to be content with playing games, going to
church to be seen. And they ain't going to quit
either. Until what? Until they win Him. Listen to
these men from the scriptures. One man said, I'll be satisfied
when I awake with his likeness. Terry, evidently, this man saw
something of his own self, and he didn't like what he saw. Job
said it, I hate myself. Isaiah said, I'm woe unto me,
I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean lips and
dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. I want to know
him. I want to be like him. have I desired, and that's what
I'll seek after," another man said, that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord and inquire of His beauty, to see His beauty,
and inquire in His temple. Another man said, Well, I know
my Redeemer lives, and I'm going to see Him one day, and I'm running
this race to get to Him. Another man said it. Look over
at Philippians chapter 3 with me. We'll read personally what
he said about it. The Apostle Paul said, he said,
Oh, that I may know Him. win him, that I may be found
in him." He said, there's no doubt about it with me. I ain't
wishy-washy in this thing. I know what I want, Paul said.
No doubt about it with me, he said. I count everything else
useless and worthless and foolish garbage, stinking garbage, that
I may win him and be found in him. Know him. Look at verse
13 with me. He says, Brethren, look at it
with me. He said, Brethren, I don't count
myself to have apprehended. This is the Apostle Paul speaking.
Now, if he hadn't apprehended yet, if he hadn't obtained this
thing yet or not, who will? Well, he says, I don't count
myself to have apprehended yet. No, I'm not there yet, but this
one thing I'm doing, I forget the past. I forget yesterday.
I forget five minutes ago. Sweet little prayer I prayed.
Forget that stuff. And I'm reaching forth unto those
things before me. I press toward the mark of the
prize of the high calling. Do you consider Christianity,
Noah and Christ, a high calling? It's the highest calling on earth.
To be called a child of God in Christ. I'm pressing. Scripture says the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violence is going to take
it by storm, by force. It says, since John the Baptist
and the prophets, men have come preaching the gospel, and those
seeking Christ press into this kingdom. Give me Christ or I
die. Lord, save me or I perish. It's
a serious matter with serious secrets. I press toward the mark
of the prize, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now look
at verse 15. It says, let us, therefore, as
many as be perfect, mature, anybody that's had anything revealed
to you, any spiritual things at all, you'd have this same
thing in mind. Anything you'd be otherwise minded, God will
reveal it unto you. God will tell you what's a hindrance.
If you've got your ears open, got your heart open, God will
tell you what you need. Nevertheless, where to? We've
already obtained whatever light you've got. Walk in it and look
for more. Let us walk by the same rules.
He goes on down to say, he says, many walk, verse 18, many are
walking, many are running, of whom I've told you often, I now
tell you weeping, they're enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose
God is what? Their belly, this world. But he says in verse 20, our
conversation, our desire, our heart, our mind, our thoughts
are in heaven. Where? From whence also we look
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall, who shall
indeed change our vile bodies. It's truth. Truth. Well, turn to Galatians. Turn to just a few pages over
to Galatians, chapter 5. Galatians, chapter 5. Look at
this. Now, I ask you, are you running
to Christ? Are you or are you not now? Come
on. Am I? Let me ask myself that. Am I?
I need this. There's a reason I put it down
on paper. I need this. Am I or am I not pursuing the
Lord Jesus Christ or am I or am I not pursuing His world?
One or the other, you can't serve two. No man can serve two masters. He can serve the world or he
can go after Christ. You can't do both. Ain't no way. Ain't
no way. You're married to one wife, aren't
you? You can't have two. Men have tried it. Can't do it. I ask you, are you
running to Christ? Are you seeking him? Seeking
to know God or not? Are you or are you not? And if
not, why are you running? Why are you here? Paul said,
I therefore run not as uncertainly. He said, I've got to go and I
don't know what I'm doing around here. Not a mere pleasure runner,
I've got a goal in mind to know Christ and have life. Look at
Galatians chapter 5 with me. Galatians chapter 5, look at
verse 7. He says, Now some of you did run well. Started out real good. Looked good, looked promising.
What happened? She says, who hindered you? Who did hinder you? What happened? God's the same. Christ is the
same. Gospel's the same. Who did hinder you that you should
not obey the truth? This persuasion doesn't come
from God, per se. It's not come from God. Who hindered you? What hindered
you? I ask this question, you know, some people have left,
some people will leave. I ask this to myself, am I going to trade
pearls for dung? Have I lost sight of eternity
for a moment's pleasure? Do I esteem the treasures of
Egypt greater than the treasures and the riches of Christ? Do
I? Evidently, I'm going to leave, or have left, or whatever. Besides,
you know, the disciples asked this, Christ asked the disciples,
you leaving? Most everybody left. You leaving
too? And the true seekers, the true
disciples said, Lord, where are we going to go? Where are you going to go? young person that may marry and
run off or whatever and never come back, where are you going? You know, if I leave the
gospel, where am I going to go? Where did I come from? I came
from sin, wallowing in the mire. Am I going to go back? I'm going
to go back like the scripture says, the dog is going to go
back to his vomit, the hog is going to go back to wallowing
in the mire? Not me. The disciples said, Lord, where are
we going to go? To whom shall we go? You have
words of truth. Life. And I say this, you know, either
we are or we are not preaching the gospel around here. We are
or we're not. There's no gray areas concerning
the gospel, is there, Joe? There ain't no uncertainties
concerning the gospel. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one hope,
if you call it, one God. I know by God's grace we're preaching
that same gospel. Now, if you leave this gospel,
where are you going to go? It's a sad fact. I've seen it
happen many, many times. People that do generally end
up not going anywhere. They get put out with whatever
and generally end up not going anywhere. We've seen it, and
it came from a big congregation, even elders, even preachers.
It happens with preachers, you know. Your pastor went to a church
where a man left the gospel, left the gospel, didn't leave
the church, he left the gospel. He's not even going to church
anymore. Where'd he go? Back to the mire, back to the
hogwash. Why do some people leave the
gospel? Paul said, who did hinder you? Let me listen to some hindrances
in light of this thing of running. Listen to me. You know, this
thing of running, why people, some quit, some people quit running.
They don't see much progress, first of all. They want it now.
They want to win now. You can't, it just doesn't work
that way. And this thing of spiritual growth, my soul, it's a lifetime.
Some of you have been around a long time. Henry? Oh, boy,
it seems like you just started sometime, doesn't it? It's long,
it's slow growth. Fine. Because this old world
has just got a grip on you. And this new birth, you know,
most of you, now, I'm not going to offend anybody, I'm sure.
Most of you have been hearing the gospel for just, what, ten
years? At the longest, some of you may
be thirteen years, right? You're 13 years old. Spiritually speaking, 13 years
old. How old is that? What is a 13-year-old
child now? Not much, do you? Well, you don't
see much progress. You know, these people start
running, they don't see much progress. They get tired and
quit. Well, here's another reason these people that take up running.
They dwell on the hypocrisy of others. go out, they might go
out to Central Park, and there'd be a bunch of people running.
And there'd be little kids, there'd be old people, a man running
like this, you know. And there'd be a 300-pound woman
come along, running. And they look around, and what
am I doing in this crowd for? Goodness gracious, I want to
be part of this. So I think I'll go home and get fat and die of
a heart attack. That's good thinking, isn't it? Real good reasoning.
No, you don't worry about everybody else. You keep running for your
health. Right? Or you see somebody drop out,
start running, and somebody else quits. What did he quit for?
I don't know. Let me ask you. Can you appeal
to that man that quit? Don't ask the one that quit.
Ask the one who won the race. Don't go to somebody that's a
loser and ask them for advice. Go to some, one of these old
spiritual believers, been around a while, ask him. How'd you do it, man? By the
grace of God, mercy of God. Look into Christ. You got to
do that, too. You got to look to Christ. Well, OK, I ain't
going to do it. I'm going to go to the man that quit looking.
And then there's people quit running because they envious
of others. who attained some things, you
know. And then they get mad, and angry, and jealous, and restless,
so they quit. Start finding fault, you know,
they quit. And then there's those that quit
because they lose somebody to run with. I'm a best friend quit, you know.
I think I quit too. My husband died, or my wife died,
or my... whatever. So I think I'll just
quit, too. Nobody cares. The Lord Jesus Christ was in
this race, this race called the human race. What if he'd have said, everybody's
forsaken me? What's the use? He said, everybody did forsake
me. That's the reason I've got to
keep on this thing. I've got to run this race before
me. I've got to establish righteousness as a man. I've got to become
a substitute for some people, though all forsake me. I've got
this job to do. I've got a people to save. God
gave me this job to do. I've got a people to save. I've
got to shed my own precious blood in order to save these people.
I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. Though all
forsook him, though he lost everything, never had anything to begin with.
He had everything. Well, Paul said this persuasion
doesn't come of God. Look at 1 John with me. 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2. Now, many, many
reasons why people quit, and most of them are very ridiculous
and petty. And I must say, in all sincerity,
based upon the scriptures, the only reason somebody would leave
the gospel is because they do not love the gospel. That's it. The only reason someone
would forsake worshiping God is because they do not desire
to worship God. The only reason somebody will
forsake Christ is because they never had Him to begin with. Once God Almighty—well, I'm going
to get into that. Look at 1 John, chapter 2, verse
19. He says some people went out
from us, but they were not of us. If they'd been of us, they no
doubt would have continued with us, wouldn't they? Wouldn't they? Who's the us? One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God, one hope of the calling, one family, looking to Christ. Worshipping God in spirit, rejoicing
in Christ Jesus, putting no confidence in the flesh, seeking to know
God, win Christ, be found in Him, having His righteousness,
not our own righteousness. That's the us. If they went out
from us, who preach and believe and seek after that gospel, love
that gospel, they no doubt are not with us. They don't love
that same gospel. That it might be made manifest.
That it might be shown to many, to the people, that they were
not all of us. Now listen, how do you know somebody is genuine?
How do you know somebody is a truth seeker? We don't. You don't. You don't know my
heart. You don't. I might look pretty good. You
don't know my heart. I don't know your heart. Oh, we give
some evidences, yes. Undeniable evidences, but only
time will tell. Only time will tell. I made a
profession of faith when I was 12 years old. It didn't last. You know, I may have looked like
a promising young man at the time, but zip on and see you
on down the road, Jack. Only time will tell. I like this
I put on George Whitefield's tombstone. It said, Here lies
George Whitefield. What manner of man he was, only
time will tell. Somebody, if you can remember,
you put that on my tombstone. But look at verse 20 here in
1 John. He said, But you do have an unction. Some people do have
an unction from the Holy One and know all things. 1 Corinthians
2 says, They that are spiritual understandeth all things, though
they themselves are understood of no man. You do have an unction. Some have been given by God's
grace an eternal call from God Almighty. Some people have. Yes,
they have. God's real. The gospel's real.
He's called some people by his grace, and it's real, real salvation. Some, only by God's grace now,
have been given an all-consuming desire to know as they have been
known. Some people have. So he said
there. Turn with me one more time to
Hebrews chapter 11. This is the last scripture I'll
have you turn to. Hebrews chapter 11. I'll turn
to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 11 speaks of many people. It speaks of Abel. It speaks of Enoch. It speaks
of Noah. Now, Noah and his family were
the only ones saved in that generation. Don't you think he went through
some persecution? Abraham, Isaac. Abraham left his home,
his family, and the people he lived with. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,
Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel,
the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs. People have been believers
up to the time of death. They, by God's grace, persevered,
didn't they? Huh? They went through the same
world we did, didn't they? Deborah? Why not me? Verse 1 of chapter 12. Wherefore,
seeing we also are encompassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses. See? We've got so many people, so
many examples to go by from the Scriptures. It made it by God's
grace. Seeing we are encompassed about
with so many, so great a cloud of witness, let's lay aside everything. Lay it aside, every weight in
the sin which does so easily beset us. What is that? Unbelief. That's besetting sin. Look into
your own righteousness instead of Christ. And let's run, with
patience though, but run, the race that's set before us." Now, verse 2, looking to him,
you read that article in the back of the bulletin, oh, you
go through trials and difficulties, and you look down at your problems
and so forth. And you get discouraged and you
quit, yeah. You look at your miserable failings, you quit,
yeah. You look to Christ, you look to see His beauty, see your
need of Him, His righteousness, His shed blood to cover your
sinful soul. Look to Him and you're pressed
on until you get to Him. Peter, as long as he was walking
on that water, when he was walking on that water, as long as he
was looking at Christ, he kept walking, didn't he? He finally
looked down, he saw the waves were boisterous and the wind
howled. What are you looking for? If
you're looking within for things, for answers, or you're looking
to somebody else for answers, I don't give it to you. I don't have them in here. That's
the reason we make much of this book, all of the answers, all
of the preaching, that we do from this place is taken from
this, nothing else. I have no desire to tell you
what I think about anything, because it's probably wrong.
Scripture says there's a way that seemeth right to a man at
the end of death and destruction. God said my ways are not your
way, my thoughts are not your way. So this right here is the
only place you're going to resort to. Don't ask this man or that
woman. How they found this or that or
whatever, where they're at, ask God, ask God's Word. And ask somebody that's walking
in it, that's listening to it. Look to Jesus, looking unto Christ,
the Savior. Look at this. He said, who for
the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. He endured
the cross for the joy, despising the shame. My soul, nothing men
or women hate more than to be put to shame. Boy, you ain't
never seen shame till we get before that holy God to have
him say to us, depart from me. You never, no shame or loneliness
in your life until God forsakes you. Never, my soul. He endured the cross, despising
the shame, and he's right now sat down at the right hand of
God. So consider him. Him that endured
such contradiction of sinners against himself. You think you're
going through some problem? You think you're enduring some
contradiction? You think you're in the midst of hypocrisy? Consider him, Scripture says.
that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. The
holy God, they called the holy God a blasphemer. He should have
right then said, I'm going back. No, he didn't. For the joy has set before and
endured the cross, despised the shame. So you, he says, you consider
him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. Unless
you be wearied and you faint, you quit in your mind. Lookin' under him, he's the prize. What else is there? What else is there? There ain't
nothin' else, folks. There ain't nothin' else. God
show us. Ain't nothin' in this life. Solomon,
go read Solomon. Solomon had it all, didn't he? It's useless. It's kindling for
God's fire. Kindling. We're building a nice
shiny new house up there. It's going to burn. Paul said at the time, and yes, I
do tell you weeping. He said, My heart's desire and
prayer to God. He said, I have great heaviness
and tenual sorrow in my heart. I wish myself a curse or something. Believe the gospel. But I can't convince anybody, and
you can't convince anybody. God must. God must. with preaching the gospel. God
help me if I don't preach the gospel. God help you if you don't
believe it. Believe it. I'm free from the blood. My hands are free from your blood
this morning. My son, declare unto you the
counsel of God. You want to go? Go. By God's grace, I'm going to
stay. Who else? Rick. Boy, I've seen some people. Elders, deacons, preachers. I've seen them come and go. Joe. Good advice and I'm giving you
good advice. Got no respect for persons is
you don't have to you know what you need with me. To make it. We look to Christ. Keep looking.
Keep looking. Today, we will hear His voice
hardened unto your heart, isn't it? Provocation. Bow with me in prayer. Our Lord, we are humbled and hopefully convicted
before your word. See a little bit of the awesomeness,
seriousness of this matter of seeking God, seeking to win Christ,
to know Him. See the seriousness of it. Or in a day much like Noah, you
said it yourself, that you'd come in a time when men think
not I mean, I cried, peace, peace, and there's no peace. They're
buying and selling, marrying, giving in marriage. We're in that day, no doubt about
it. Lord, by Your grace and by Your
mercy, would You keep us, would You first appoint us to
Christ, look to Him if we haven't, and if we have, keep us looking
to Him, clinging to Him. Don't let us go, Lord, or we're
gone. We go. Keep us by the power of God,
which is the gospel, for Christ's sake, for His honor
and His glory. Amen. Well, although some people, some people do leave. I mean,
let me say some things here. Some people do leave. Some people
have leave. Some people will leave. But thank
God some people stay. And that's what I want to dwell
on. That's what I endeavor to dwell on here. And some even
come. Some even come. And I want to,
and we do, from this pulpit, dwell more on God's mercy and
grace. and salvation of souls, keeping
of souls. That's what we dwell on here,
how we do it. A room full of witnesses. That's what we dwell on. We dwell on, like to dwell on,
folks that love the gospel and appreciate it, the body. And
we thank God and pray for the body and the church, that he
has given us a church a family and made us a part of it. Thank
him for that. Scripture says the Lord addeth
daily to his church such as should be said. God does add. And it would be a very discouraging
thing never to see any growth whatsoever. It doesn't mean,
you know, to look for great growth, great numbers. That never said
anything, great numbers. As a matter of fact, it says
the opposite. The majority, down from the beginning of time, the
majority has been wrong. Ask Noah. Ask Gideon. Keep asking them. The majority
of people have been wrong. But this thing about church membership. say some things about it. What
is it? What is this thing of church membership? Many things.
Many things. There are many responsibilities
that go into becoming a member of the church. Like I said, God's
the one who does it. He adds to the church. That is
His family. It's His body. He's the one that
adds to this. Christ's church. It's not our
church. This ain't our church. It's Christ's family. It's His
church. We don't decide who comes in,
who goes out, who can't. Oh, no. We don't decide who can
take up the Lord's table. It's his table, not my table.
It's the Lord's table. We don't decide. We don't vote. We don't examine people. We don't
do these things. There's really only two things
that are considered requirements to be a member of the church.
Number one, believe. believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. And baptism, the Lord plainly
said baptism, was a requirement. A requirement. And I don't say baptism by a
certain man, by a Baptist man in a Baptist church. No way. Some people say that. That's
not scriptural. But why join a church? Why come
up and do this thing called I want to join the church, the local
church. Why? There may be some people in here
puzzled by this thing, what to do about it. Maybe you haven't
or whatever. Let me say a few things here
I've written down. First of all, it's a public confession. It's
a public confession of your love for Christ and his people. That's what it is. Confession
Christ if you confess me before me and I'll confess you before
my father and angels in heaven It's a public confession of your
desire to identify with people That love the same gospel you
love And as I said before and I hope I say it sadly But there
are many false prophets gone out in the world as many false
so-called churches out there very few seem to be preaching
the gospel and And it's a privilege, an honor, a blessing of God Almighty
to be placed in a place where the gospel is being preached.
Some of you have roamed place to place trying to find the truth,
and you know what a blessing it is just to come somewhere
where the Word of God is opened up and expounded upon. It's a
public desire to identify with God's people, a public display
of your support for the gospel, you're telling everybody, that's
the gospel I love, that's the gospel we believe, that's the
gospel I want to support, and that's the gospel I am going
to support by God's grace. And let me use this, I couldn't
come up with a better illustration than this, you know, you have
a birth certificate. Now don't take this completely,
literally. But you have a birth certificate.
Sometimes you have to go, when you apply for a job, and they
say, give us your birth certificate. Why? You know I'm born, don't
you? No, you're going to have to prove
it to us. All right, you go get that birth
certificate. Well, you know, an old piece of paper, and I've
heard some churches, so-called churches, do something foolishly
like that. make up some silly little birth certificate say
on this day so and so was you know you've seen that heard about
it that's stupid but somebody asked you are you a Christian
yes everybody says that one out of every two American adults
says they're Christian come on well how do you know how you
gonna know Are you a Christian? Yes. Where do you go to church?
I go down to St. Mary's Catholic Church. Now wait a minute. You mean you
believe that Mary is the intercessor between you and God? You believe
that the priest can administer salvation to your lips through
the blood and the wine? Do you believe this thing? Now
wait a minute now. Where do you go to church? I go down
to Central Baptist Church. They preach election down there,
don't they? Yeah, they do. Ain't it great?
They preach predestination down there, don't they? Yeah, it's
in the Bible, isn't it? Yeah, that's where I go. That's
what I believe. They preach God's sovereign. He does what he will,
with whom he will. And none can say anything about
him, or about it, or stay his hand, or say anything. What are
you doing? That's what they preach down there, don't they? Yeah,
they do. That's where I go. That's what I believe. You see? That's a way that it's not infallible
now. We may quit preaching the gospel
here someday. I hope not. And it might not
mean a flip that you go to Central Baptist Church then. But right
now, we preach the gospel in this place. And you say you're
a member here. That says something. It does.
This community knows. They know. They've heard Jim.
They've seen the articles we've written. They know. They know,
don't they? It's not a matter, this thing
is not a matter of men not understanding what we're trying to say. The
matter is they don't believe it. Right? It's like the scriptures. It's not a matter of not seeing
things like election and sovereignty and predestination and man's
depravity and so forth in the scriptures. It's not a matter
of not seeing that. It's right there in black and white. The problem
is they don't believe it. Christ came, he said, that's
what he said about some people. He said some believed, some didn't. It's just the way it is. But
I think it's good. I just said what I said I wasn't
going to say. I believe the scriptures teach
us that this is good. To come make a public avowal
for all our avowals are worth, but a public confession of membership
in a body that preaches the gospel you believe. I think it's a good
thing. I believe the scriptures teach us good things. And Ed and Jeanette Barry back there
have been coming a while. They're not new here by any means. They're already a permanent fixture
here. Already have been. Don't need your name on a piece
of paper for nothing. But today they wanted to publicly
affirm their standing on the gospel and with the people that
believe this gospel. And I ask you, members of this
church, I'd like to ask you that if you rejoice, receive them
as members, just say with me, Amen. Amen. And we're glad to
have you. And they're not new. I'm going to ask them to come
down front and let everybody shake your hand. I hope you shake
your hand every day anyway. Not that you might meet them
or whatever, but just come and let them know what you think
about them. I may just do this every Sunday,
have a certain member come down and stand here. Everybody come
down and shake your hand. That way you'll be sure to greet
the brotherhood, right? And Henry, you're next. You and
Roberta, tonight. Stand down. Everybody shake your
hands. But y'all come down. Y'all come on down now. Now,
Ed, you come up here and listen. And I think that's the most important
thing. So I'm so glad to be a part of
this. I'm so glad to be a part of this. I'm so glad to be a
part of this. I'm so glad to be a part of this. I'm so glad
to be a part of this. I'm so glad to be a part of this.
I'm so glad to be a part of this. I'm so glad to be a part of this. I'm so glad to be a part of this. I'm so glad to be a part of this.
I'm so glad to be a part of this. you