I can't tell you how thankful I am to be here with you. The Lord does all things well. And I'm thankful that he's taught me something of that truth. I thank God that he's allowed us all to be together. and to worship. This privilege that we have today, one day we'll all realize how blessed we've been to have the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace sent to Katy, West Virginia. I know that the world by and large thinks nothing of assembling together. But it's been a blessed privilege for me. I love you. Appreciate you. I want you to turn with me to the gospel of John chapter 14. John chapter 14. And I want to read one verse of scripture. John 14 verse 18. Here's what the Lord said. I will not leave you. Comfortless. I will come to you. I will not leave you orphans. That's what that word comfortless means. I will not.

The Lord who has eternally in his heart for sure come to his people. He came to his people first in his heart, mind, in electing grace. Almighty God chose a people, the Father, who was pleased to choose a people. Now you think about the mass of humanity out of all the people that's ever been born in this world. God Almighty was pleased to choose a people. I think to myself, what, what mercy, what grace that almighty God said within himself, I will not leave them comfortless. I'm not going to do it. I think, Lord, how is it that you would be pleased to choose me to show your affection.

When Adam fell in the garden, when Eve, her husband Adam, was made to see that they were naked, when they rebelled against God, What did they do when they realized they were without any covering? Genesis three, verse eight and nine says, when they heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden and the cool of the day, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. themselves from the presence of the Lord, they thought. And the Lord came to them and said, Adam, where art thou? Where are you? The Lord in his mercy was going to make them realize where they were now.

And all mankind All mankind rebelled against God, in Adam. Here's the point. The Lord was pleased to not leave them comfortless. He was not going to leave mankind without comfortless. He came. to Adam and Eve, and they knew then that they were sinners.

Now, let me ask you this. You that sit here and listen, let me ask you, do you know that you are a rebel against God by nature? You're a sinner. You're a rebel and deserving to be cast out of his presence. As for me, I know when I was growing up, went to church and did all the religious stuff that I was, you know, supposed to do. And I did not realize then that I was a rebel against God, deserving condemnation. I didn't know that. But how merciful the Lord has been to me and to you that believe. to be made to realize that you are a rebel and in need of redemption, comfort, peace with God. God's people are naturally spiritual enemies against the Lord. They don't know that they're orphans. They don't know that they're cast out. They don't know that they're without a shepherd by nature. They don't know that.

But by the grace of God, the Lord was pleased to call a people. They didn't realize that they were enemies The scripture says in Hebrews 11, 36 to 38, and others had trial, cruel mockings, scourgings. Moreover, they were in bonds, imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn asunder. They were tempted, slain with the sword, wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth, but they were God's sheep. And they did not realize that they were alienated by nature.

The father. who loved them with an everlasting love, was determined, I'm not going to leave them there. I'm not going to leave them without hope. God Almighty, who everlastingly loved his people and chose them in Christ, was determined, I'm going to call them out of darkness. I'm going to. I didn't even know I was in darkness. I didn't even know I was a rebel. Isaiah the prophet penned these words.

Can a woman forget her sucking child? That she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yay, they may forget. Yet will I not forget thee? Do you know? Why? You're sitting here under the sound of the truth. You know why? The Lord has directed you. You say, well, I just decided to come today. No. By the grace of God, if you're sitting here today, it's by God's mercy and compassion. I thank God that he was pleased to call me and put me onto the truth and send a man to preach the gospel to me. Because whether you know it or not, you're going to leave this world and you're going to stand before God. And Almighty God is going to declare unto all of us His will and His purpose. After the Lord's resurrection, turn with me to John 20, John chapter 20. John 20, verse 14. This is one of the Lord's sheep that had witnessed, had known his crucifixion and when she had thus said she turned back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?

She supposing him to be the gardener saith unto him, Sir, I have, if you have born him, hence, Tell me where thou has laid him and I will take him away. Jesus sayeth unto her, Mary. And she turned herself and sayeth unto him, Rabona, which is to say master. Mary knew when she heard the Lord's voice. She knew that it was him.

The Lord said unto his people, When my father and my mother forsake me, then will the Lord take me up. I will not leave you comfortless. How blessed it was that the Lord spoke to her. He said, John 20, verse 27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

Whenever the Lord said to her, Mary, she recognized him. She didn't know him at first. Where, you know, if you've taken him away, if you've borne him away, tell me where you took him and I'll go get him. And he just said her name, Mary, and she knew it. You're hearing my voice right now. You say, I know that's Marvin. I know that's who it is. I know that's Marvin. My sheep hear my voice. The two on the road to Emmaus turned to Luke 24. Luke 24. Verse 15, 16. Luke 24. Verse 15, 16. It came to pass that while they communed together, and reason, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

And he said unto them, what manner of communications are these that thou, what communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad? And then the scripture says, in verses 25 to 32, then he said unto them, O fools and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself.

And they drew nigh unto the village, and whither they went, and he made as though he would have gone further, but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, it is toward evening. And his day is far spent, and he went in to tarry with them. And he came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and spake, and break and gave it to them. And their eyes were open and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight.

And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures. And they rose the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 and found and gathered together. and them that were with them. The scripture reveals that when the Lord speaks to his people, they hear his voice.

And I think to myself right now, while I'm attempting to preach to you, and I can definitely see the frailty of myself, I know. But I can tell you this, even though I can see the frailty of myself, I still know his voice. I know when he's honored. I know if he's dishonored.

And to be able to just relate to you the scriptures, to open the scriptures, does our heart not burn? Does it not say within ourselves, that's my Lord speaking? That's that's the voice of my Lord and I want to hear it. And does my heart not burn within me while I hear his voice?

All weary pilgrim. How often has the Lord come to us? While we meditate upon him, have you ever woken up early in the morning? You're just waking up out of your sleep, maybe. Maybe you're not even awake, I don't know. But if you ever just thought upon the Lord while you're in your bed, you're not hearing anybody physically talk, but you think upon the Lord, you think upon His mercy, you think upon His grace, and you think, that's the voice. That's the voice of my Lord. That's my Lord speaking to me, thinking upon him.

Have you ever sat and heard the gospel of God's grace and mercy preached? And a man admit, he knows, he sees something of his frailty and his weakness. And you say, that's the voice of my Lord. How blessed I am to be able to hear his voice. How blessed I am to hear of my frailty, of his strength. Tell me one more time as you search the scriptures and hear the gospel. That's the voice of the Lord speaking to you.

Without him, we can absolutely do nothing. Oh, hear the promise of our Lord. I'll just read this to you. Matthew 28 19. Listen to this and may the Lord give us all hearts to believe it. Understand it. Low. I am with you all way. Even until the end of the Earth. Amen.

A believer hears these words and says within his heart, Lord, as you came to me first in regenerating grace, Lord, come to me again. Lord, speak to my heart again. Lord, don't leave me to myself. He said, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. And a believer says, Lord, don't ever leave me. Don't ever forsake me. Lord, keep me by your grace. Beloved, he never forsakes his own. In the hour of our physical death, our physical departure from this life, this world, in that departure, in that moment, remember, he's not going to let you depart alone.

In Stephen's departure out of this world, the scripture records this concerning Stephen. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God. And Jesus, He is the glory of God. standing on the right hand of God and said, Behold, I see heavens. I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing on the right hand of God. With that, might the Lord manifest himself to us again and cause us to truly hear within our heart, Lo, I will Not leave you comfortless. I'm not going to. I'm not going to.

Though I see again. My frailty. I see my inconsistencies. I'm so thankful. That he's not leaving my steadfastness. My safety up to me. It's not left up to my free will, it's not left up, it's left all up to his mercy, power, grace, comfort, to my heart, to say, Marvin, there are all these things that I'm sending you, and I'm telling you for a fact, I know this. A stroke, a seizure, a broken back, Another possible stroke, an episode four or five days ago, here's the word of the Lord for me. I'm not going to leave you comfortless. May the Lord bless these words to our