It's a joy to be here, and I
pray the Lord will meet with us. Well, I'll stick some thank
you notes. Not all of us are bean poles. Turn with me to John chapter
18, if you will. Yeah, I remember I used to come
up here. I'd help build our building and worked
on that thing 10, 12 hours a day. Go up there at night and work.
And then came up here and worked on theirs. And I had an addition
on the house. And I lost my hammer, and I ain't
doing no more. Doing no more. Everybody ought
to build a church once. But once is enough, ain't it,
Todd? Once is enough. But I want you to look here with
me in Matthew 18. Let me read the first 11 verses
and pray that the Lord will be pleased to meet with us tonight.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples,
where was a garden into the which he entered and his disciples.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place for our Lord
oftentimes resorted there with his disciples. Judas then, having
received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees,
come there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Therefore Jesus,
knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and
said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto
them, I am, they went backward and fell to the ground. Then
asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Our Lord answered and said, I've
told you that I am. If you there seek me, let these
go their way. that the scripture might be fulfilled
which he spake of them which thou gavest me, have I lost none? Then Simon Peter, having a sword,
drew it, smote the high priest's servant, cut off his right ear.
The servant's name was Malchus. Then said our master unto Peter,
put up thy sword into thy sheath, the cup which my father hath
given me. Shall I not drink it? Shall I
not drink it? I wanna talk about just a few
glimpses, if I can, just a few glimpses of our Lord when He's
here in the garden. You know, that's all we get of
Him most of the time anyway, just a glimpse. And old Scott
Richardson used to say, if I could just get a crumb for the master's
table, I can go a long way on a crumb, as long as it comes
from the master's table. But in every way and circumstances
in which you speak, our Lord was found, they just gave us
a greater revelation of His blessed character. Nobody had a character
like our Lord's. Nobody. You know, you meet people
and say, boy, He's a real character. Our Lord Jesus Christ had the
character that nobody else had. He had a character that nobody
else could ever possibly have. And then His person, oh, how
precious and how blessed was his person. Oh, his person. I mean, we know a person. We
love doctrine. We love truth. We delight in
truth. But all truth separated from
Christ is just cold doctrine. But oh my, we, oh what a blessed
person. How precious is our Lord Jesus
Christ. And wherever he went, whatever
he did, he could not hide his personality. He could not hide
who he is. He could not hide the things
that he did. Let me illustrate. When he saw
a multitude that followed him for three days, and he said,
they're hungry and they're fixing to faint. He said, how much food
you got here? Well, we got two fish and five
loaves of bread. Sit down. He prayed over that. Two fish
and that five loaves of bread. He fed 5,000 people, took up
12 baskets. Tell me somebody, you think that
ain't a personality? You think that a man ain't got
a character, a blessed person, precious? And when he heard the
cries of beggars, cries of beggars, Jesus, thou
son of David, what do you want? What do you want? Tell him to
bring him here. What would you have me do for you? I'm blind. I'm blind. I won't see. He said, go. He
gave him his eyesight. Oh my. And our master, our master
is such a blessed, blessed person that when he could look on a
field, he could look on a field and he would look at that field
and he said, that field is ready to be harvested. And he said,
I pray that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into his
field, that they could labor in his field. He looked at a
field and said, this is the need of man, somebody to preach the
gospel to. And he looked at a field and
said, these are ready. Pray the Lord sends some laborers
into his harvest. And oh, how we need laborers.
Oh my goodness, how we need laborers. And you know, and this is what's
so wonderful about the Bible, so wonderful about the scriptures.
These scriptures, you know, they tell us about him. And every
once in a while, he blesses us to hear his voice. And every
once in a while, we can hear his voice and his word. And when
you began to hear his voice and you began to listen to the gospel,
you began to see what a wonderful savior is Jesus our Lord, what
a wonderful savior he is. And He has opened up before our
very eyes that we can see and delight in Him. And oh, we're
like Isaiah, when I saw the Lord, oh, His glory filled the temple.
And I tell you, hearing these verses that I read to you tonight,
as our Lord went into the Garden of Gethsemane, even in His most
earthly weakness, most earthly weakness, we see such strength,
such glory, such power, such majesty that nobody else could
ever manifest but him. And I want you to just look at
a few things with me down through these verses here, if you will.
First, I want you to look at verse two. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, knew the place, for Jesus oftentimes resorted there with
his disciples. Judas knew exactly where the
Lord Jesus Christ would be. He knew where it'd be because
it says Jesus oftentimes resorted there with his disciples. And
I want you to see that our Lord was a praying man. Oh, how he
prayed. And I'll tell you, our Lord prayed
like nobody else could pray. Not only did he possess the spirit
of prayer, but he had places where he would go to pray. And
he would go over there and he would speak and he'd pray. Now
look back up at the beginning of these words in Matthew, John
18. When Jesus has spoken these words,
what words is he talking about? He's talking about the words
he just told his disciples. And I tell you, all that is our
Lord's prayer. When our Lord prayed there, look
what he prayed there in verse 24 of Matthew, John 17, excuse
me. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me. Listen to this, that where I
am, that they may be with me where I am. And listen, that
they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovest
me. before the foundation of the
world. Oh, righteous Father, the world's not known ye, but
these have known that thou sent me, and I've declared unto them
thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I am thee. That's our Lord
winding up his prayer. Father, I want them folks to
be with me. I want them to see my glory.
And so that's what he's, when he prayed, you know, I told him
this morning over at Danville that Matthew 6 is the model prayer. Our Father wishes in heaven.
But when you read John chapter 17, that's when our Lord prayed.
He lifted up his eyes to heaven. And in one place he said, I thank
thee, O Father, that thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent and revealed them unto babes. And our Lord, oh,
he was a man of prayer. And he came to the garden. for
his personal prayer to pour out his heart, pour out his heart
to his Father. Even when he was at Lazarus'
tomb, at Lazarus' tomb, he lifted up his voice and said, Father,
I know that you always hear me. I know that you always hear me.
But I pray to you right now, not for my sake, but for the
sake of these people that's standing right here. that when I raise
Lazarus from the dead, they may understand what's going on here.
And he always hears him. And then look what else it says
there in verse three now. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, knew the place. Oh, he knew the place. Judas
also, which betrayed him. Now just you talking about a
warning. You're talking about a warning.
Henry Mayan used to say, the Bible's propped up on one side
with the promises, on the other side with warnings. And here's
a warning. Judas also was betrayed. You're talking about a solemn
warning. He had been with the Lord Jesus
Christ for three years. He preached for three years.
He was the first treasure. He heard our Lord's messages. He heard our Lord preach. He
sat with our Lord Jesus Christ and heard his private instructions.
And he professed to be a believer, had worked and preached in Christ's
name, and yet he betrayed him. Is there anybody here tonight
that would betray our Lord Jesus Christ? Anybody here that would
betray the one to such a wonderful person, blessed person? Has there
ever been a sinner saved by grace that would ever betray the Lord
Jesus Christ? I've seen people over the years
come and stay for as high as 10 or 11 years and walk away. And Paul said, I marvel that
you're so soon removed from the grace of Christ unto another
gospel. It marvels me. And oh, there's
three men mentioned in the Bible. And every time they're mentioned,
they're mentioned in a certain way. Judas, every time his name's
mentioned in the Bible, Judas, which betrayed him. And then John, the one that leaned
on Christ's breast, he's the disciple whom Jesus loved. And the third one is Nicodemus.
Every time his name's mentioned, he said, Nicodemus, which came
to him by night. They're always referred that
way. Now I'll tell you what, I don't care, call me Nicodemus,
call me the beloved disciple, but God don't let me be a Jew. Don't let me, there's, I heard
an old preacher preach one time and he said, oh Lord, I wanna
be a Christian. I wanna be a Christian in my
heart. I wanna be a Christian in my heart. Lord, don't let
me be a Judas. I don't want to be a Judas. I
don't want to be a Judas in my heart. Oh Lord, don't let me
be a Judas. Don't let me be a Judas. And
oh my, it don't take much to sink a ship. It don't take much
to sink a ship. And oh my. And then look what
it says there in verse five. And it says there, down in the
last part of the verse, it says, and Judas, also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. Who did he stand with? Back up
in verse three. It says in one place, there was
about 500 of them, and they come with lanterns, and they had torches,
and look at this, they had weapons. Why would they need a weapon
to go after a lamb? Why would they need a weapon
to go after one who did nothing but good, who did nothing but
pray, did nothing but what was right, holy, and just, and good. How could they, what weapon would
you bring against the Lord Jesus Christ? But they wanted to bring weapons.
What would they do? What would they do? What would
they do? Oh my. And then look what else it says
about our master here in verse four. These are just little glimpses
that we get of our master. Jesus, therefore, knowing all
things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto
them, Whom seek ye? And now I want you to notice
this, that when he said, Jesus, knowing all things that should
come upon him, went forth, went forth. And what he's telling
us here is that our Lord went forth to see, to see, that all
things would be accomplished by him. I mean, you know, without
him, it could not possibly be accomplished. He knew exactly
what was gonna happen. He knew everything that was gonna
be accomplished in his life. Look in John 19, 28. John chapter
19, 28. Look what it says over here. I'll preach the message from
this up in New Jersey recently. After this, Jesus, knowing that
all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled. Every scripture that he knew
concerning himself, he knowing all things that should be accomplished,
he went forth. to see that those things would
be accomplished. Not to try to accomplish them,
not to hope he accomplishes them, but I mean, he went forth to
accomplish them. And oh, you think this is a weakling
man? You think it's a pitiful man?
Is this somebody to be felt sorry for? No, no, he faced his enemies
head on. He faced everything that God
sent his way head on. I mean, he went forth to see,
This has to be done. This has to be accomplished.
I've got to face the judgment. I've got to face the wrath of
God. I've got to face the law of God.
I've got to face death. I've got to face sin. I've got
to face the cross. I've got to face a crown of thorns.
I've got to face so much. And I'm going to go and see that
it's done. I'm not going to back up from
it. I've backed up from a lot of things in my life, but oh
my. Ah, not him, not him. Oh, the hour has come. The hour
has come, bless his holy name. The hour has come. Our Lord's
not hiding from his enemies. He knew Judas was gonna come.
He said already in the Psalm, said, it was my familiar friend
that forsook me. It was not my enemy. He was my
familiar friend. Oh, my. Look in John 13, three
with me for a moment. Keep John 18 now. Won't you stay
there? Look in John 13, three. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, all
things. Look what it says here. Jesus,
knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and
that He was come from God and went to God. There it talks about
all things in his hands, in his hands. But now, now it's time
to empty himself. And it says back there in our
text that Jesus, knowing all things should come upon him,
went forth, went forth. Oh, there's 500 men standing
there. weapons. He walked right up to them. Walked
right up to them. Looked them in the eyes. Looked
them in the eyes. But he went forth. Oh, my. He went forth to be the lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. He went forth to be
cut off from the land of the living. He went forth to be wounded
for our transgressions. He went forth to be bruised for
our iniquities. He went forth that we might be
healed with the chastisement of his peace. He went forth to
be betrayed by men. He went forth to be mocked as
a king. He went forth to be a common
prisoner and a common criminal and being treated as one. And
he went forth to be left to the humiliation of men treating him
in the most despicable manner, and he didn't open his mouth.
Everybody wants to be a victim now. Our Lord Jesus Christ was
no victim. He went forth conquering and
to conquer. And this is how he conquered,
oh, everything that was against us. He went forth to do it. He
went forth to do it. Bless his holy name. I'm so thankful. If he hadn't have went forth,
I'd have had to go forth. If he hadn't have went forth
for me, I'd have had to go forth and face God myself. If he hadn't
have went forth for me, I'd have had to go and face him for my
own sin if he hadn't have faced him for me. It'd be awful what
we'd have to face if he hadn't have went forth for us. And when it says, Jesus knowing,
that's what it says, all things that should come upon him. Our Lord's foreknowledge was
perfect. Perfect. Our Lord's foreknowledge
was perfect. Before he ever come into this
earth, through the womb of a virgin, he came in here knowing exactly
how he's gonna come. just exactly everything was gonna
happen to him every day of his life, till the day he died, did
he go to the tomb and be raised again, go right back to his father.
He knew all things. There was no surprises to our
Savior. He wasn't surprised by what men
do. He knew his sufferings and he
went forth to undo them. He knew all things that God decreed. Now let me tell you something
about the decree of God. Men talk about decrees, but there's
one decree. God decreed one time, one time. He decreed the end from way back
yonder. And when he started it, and then
it's gonna come out yonder just exactly the way he said it's
gonna be. And everybody in this building
tonight, everybody, and everybody that's a believer, God numbered
the hairs of your hand. He ordered everything in your
life. He puts us in the place we are with the things we go
through and the weakness and frailty of our body, the weakness
and frailties of our mind. God does not wait for us to wait
on, He doesn't tell us what's gonna happen. He knows what's
gonna happen. And I'm grateful He does. I told
him this morning, you know, we don't know more than a hill of
beans. But our Lord Jesus Christ knows
all things. I'm gonna tell you something. Romans 8, 28 says this. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them that are called
according to his purpose. Now, I don't think that happens
after we get converted. I think that starts by who God
places us to be our mother and daddy. I think that starts with
us when we come forth from the womb. I think that everything
that happens in our life, God orders it to be that way so he
can bring us to himself in his time And everything, you know,
when I was born, you know why my name's Donald? Because God
said I want him named Donnie. You know why I was raised here,
yonder, and everywhere else? Because God wanted me to be here,
yonder, and everywhere else. You know why I ended up in Vietnam?
God said he needs to go to Vietnam. He needs to go over there and
he needs to find out what pain is, what suffering is, and what
shame is, and what agony is. He needs to go learn that. So
when I bring him to myself, he won't have no confidence in himself. He'll know he ain't got nothing
for himself. He'll know he ain't got no ability.
He knows he ain't got nothing to offer. He knows it. And God
does that, he brings us, the one of us, the way he intends
for us to come, and we could not be where we are right now
if he hadn't have brought us the way he brought us. Couldn't
have done it, could he? Ain't you grateful that's the
way it does? If you and I could go back, Host
Scott Rich said one time, if we had the power of God, we'd
change everything. But if we had the wisdom of God,
we'd not change one thing. and Jesus knowing all things
decreed by God. And all things that him and his
son entered into a covenant of grace about. I'm grateful that
he never told me to enter a covenant with him. I'm grateful that they
entered into a covenant together and that God made me in that
covenant only in the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And oh my. He knew all things that was predicted
in the Old Testament. Everything that was said about
him, he went forth to face it. When it said he was led as a
lamb to the slaughter, that's what it was. That's what it meant
to be led as a lamb to the slaughter. Oh, I tell you what, me and you,
we about that much. And I'll tell you something.
Me and you may do something to surprise ourselves, We may do
something to surprise one another. A husband may do something to
surprise his wife, or his wife surprised him, or a child is
surprised. But I'll tell you one thing, we'll never do one
thing that'll surprise our God. Not one thing will we ever do
that'll surprise him. I get surprised. Oh, did I say
that? Did I do that? Did I act that way? Yeah, my
master knew it. My master knew it. What'd he
do about it? Forgave me. Loved me. Embraced me. Oh, what a Savior, Jesus our
Lord. And then look what the confession
he makes of himself. Oh my. He asked him in verse four, the
last part of verse four, he said, who you looking for? Who you
looking for? Whom you looking for? Who you
seeking? They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus saith unto them, I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. Oh my. They came. You know his
confession. I am. I am. Who are you looking
for? They came to take him, and he walks right up to him, said,
who you looking for? Jesus said that, the name of
humiliation. The name where he was born, or
they thought he was born and raised. And he just said, I am,
I am. And look what it said in verse
six, as soon as then had said unto them, I am, the fellow started
backing up. Start backing up, you know, there's
a whole bunch of them, whole bunch of them start backing up,
and next thing you know, they just kept falling like a bunch
of bowling pins. They just started falling back,
falling back. And they went to the ground,
and it says they fell to the ground. Now, it would have been
something if they had stayed in the ground. If they had stayed
on the ground and worshiped the Lord, and called on our Lord,
and acknowledged our Lord. But oh no, they got back up. Oh my, look what he said here.
Then he asked him again in verse seven. Then he asked him again,
whom seek ye? They said, Jesus of Nazareth.
He said, I've told you. I have told you that I am. That
I am. Told you that I am. Oh my. They came to arrest him, but
they ended up retreating. Oh, if they had just fell down
and worshiped him, but they didn't. But this is the same voice that
Moses heard on the mount. God spoke to him out of that
burning bush. He just saw a bush burning and
it wasn't consumed. He just drew near. God spoke
to him. Go down, let my people go. Moses
said, well, who in the world am I gonna say sent me? Who am
I gonna say sent me? He said, you tell them that I
am, that I am. I am, always am. Todd says every once in a while, he's
other, he's other. And he said, I am. Oh, and I tell you Moses got
down, who sent you down here? As I fell up in the burning bush,
he told me to come back and get my people. And he just told me,
he said, I am. I am. You know what about God right
now? He's I am. I am. We're not, but he is. He is. Oh, people say all the
time, you know who I am? Yes, I do. I know who you are. People really think there's something.
They say, you know who I am? Yeah, I know who you are. You're Jacob. You're a worm.
Oh, people, oh, what? Can you imagine how arrogant,
how much pride for somebody to tell somebody, you know who I
am? Yeah, I know who you are. I know who you are. And oh, my. And our Lord Jesus
Christ here, when he's facing these people, this multitude
with their weapons. You're talking about a display
of majesty, a display of sovereignty, a display of power, a display
of magnificent glory. And he just said, I am, and they
fell backwards. And oh my, here's our Lord Jesus
Christ being the word, just saying, I am, I am. one-syllable words, I am. And why did our Lord act like
this? Why did our Lord act like this at this time? That these
people and all of us could clearly see that he was more than Jesus
and Asherah. He was the one that was the I
am in that burning bush. He was the one that I am the
word that was in the beginning. He said, I am, I am. And oh, he was God. And like
he read tonight, Emmanuel, God with us. And everybody could
see also clearly that what he did He did voluntarily. They did not come to take His.
They couldn't take Him if He's not willed to be taken. If He
had not come to accomplish what He's gonna do, He delivered Himself
into their hands. They didn't apprehend Him. He
submitted Himself to Him. They didn't capture Him. He gave
Himself up. Oh, our Lord said in John 10,
He said, No man takes my life from me. Nobody, nobody. He said, I've got the power,
the authority to lay down my life. And I've got the power,
the authority to take it up again. You know why, where I got that?
He said, I got it from my father. He told me I could do this. And
oh, I tell you, the Pharisees and them, to arrest the Lord
Jesus Christ. They sent him to arrest him.
And they went over there and a whole bunch of them was gonna
arrest him. And they gathered around and
our Lord was preaching and speaking. They went back to the Pharisees
and said, why didn't you bring him? He said, never heard nobody
speak like him before. Never heard a voice like that
in my life. And that's the way these fellas
were. They heard a voice that they'd never heard before. That
voice was authority. They didn't have any authority
except what Christ gave them. And oh, our Lord has power over
his enemies. He put these people in the ground.
And he can follow a man with a word or a look. He could have
sent them to hell as easy as the ground swallowed up Cora
and Dathom and Abram. They were completely at the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Helpless on the ground. He wasn't
at their mercy. He could have just walked away
and they'd have never ever found him. But he didn't come to walk
away. And oh, look what he says about
his own now. Oh my. He asked them there again
in verse seven, whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Our Lord answered, said in verse eight, I've told you that I am
he. Now watch this, watch what he does for his people. If therefore
you seek me, let these go their way. You can't have me and them
both. You can't have me and them and
all mine. He said, that the scripture,
verse nine, might be fulfilled, which he spake of them which
thou gavest me. I've lost none. Oh, man. If you get me, you gotta let
these go. You know why he says that? Because
he has to tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath
of God alone. He by himself purged our sins. He by Himself gave Himself for
our sins. Everything I, Lord Jesus Christ,
He did by Himself. And He said, it would not be
just if you get me and get them too. It's not right that you
take me. And if you take me, you can't
have them. You can't have them. Oh my, you think about power. He said he loved his own, having
loved his own which were in the world. Oh, we was given to him. He paid for us by his blessed
blood, paid for us by his sacrifice, paid for him by his life, paid
for us by his own willingness. And oh my. Ah, having loved his
own. You know, when he loves one of
his people, I started tonight to preach on election. I thought
I'd preach on election, but you think about this. If you're one of God's chosen,
if you're one of God's elect, one of God who God chose, and
you know, this is what our Lord said, blessed is the man whom
thou choosest. Not that they choose me, blessed
is the man whom thou choosest. How many people in here are blessed
tonight that God chose? How many in here say, blessed
is that man, blessed is that woman, blessed is that child,
blessed is that couple? How many people has God said,
that's a blessed man. And then not only is be blessed
to be chosen of God, But the next line says, and causes them,
causes them to approach me. I want you in my presence. I'm
gonna cause you to come to me. Oh, that's what you call effectual
calling. When you call that effectual calling. Oh, bless his holy name. And our Lord's last thoughts
Our Lord's thoughts here are not of himself, not even of his
sufferings, but his sheep. He don't want them to suffer.
It's the shepherd watching over his sheep. And oh, how many times
would they remember that the last thing about their master
said when they come to take him. Let these go, take me. And they
would remember that. Do you remember our Lord, they
come to get him? And he said, you can't have,
let these go. Let these go, let these go. Oh,
let these go their way. You have me, it's not just for
them to suffer if I suffer. And they can't suffer with me.
They can't suffer with me. Oh, now I've got to do this all
by myself. I don't need any help. I don't
need any help. And oh, he says, you know, the
day which thou gavest me, I'm not lost to one of them. And
this is one of the most precious things to me. And like I told
you, we're just getting just a little glimpse here and yonder
of our master. Just a little glimpse here and
there. But look what he says down here in verse 11. He told Simon Peter, put up your
sword into your sheath. And he says, the cup which my
father has given me, shall I not drink it? Look at his submission to his
father's will. Oh, what submission, our master
again. He submits himself to man, and
he submits himself to God. And you're talking about a man,
willingly, to submit himself to the devices of men, to submit
himself to the cup that God gave him to drink. You're talking
about supreme and submission, perfect supremacy. Perfect submission,
perfect subjection. And what we have here is we have
the sovereign, and we have the servant. We have the lion, and
we have the lamb. And look what he says here now.
The cup, the cup, which my father hath given me, shall I not drink
it? And it wasn't saying, you know,
He didn't say a necessity's laid upon me to drink it. I hope I
don't have to drink it. I'd like not to drink it. He
didn't say my Father commanded me to drink it. He says, shall
I not? Would you think for a moment
that I wouldn't take the cup that the Father gave me? You
think that I wouldn't take that cup and drink it? And over in
Isaiah, I believe it's 63, where he tread the fierceness of the
wrath of God. And, oh, God gave him a cup,
and in that cup was, oh, such bitterness, such bitterness,
oh, such bitterness was in that cup. And this shows us that his
heart, his spirit, did not know how to do anything other, other,
than obey his Father, anything other than to submit to his Father. This is the highest willingness
that it can possibly be. And I said something this morning
I've never said before, but I want you to get this. God gives every one of us a bitter
cup sometime in our life. He'll give us a bitter cup. Every
one of us will have one. and He'll give it to you. And
here's the most blessed thing about it. He's the one that gives
it, comes from His hand. And here's the awesome thing
about it, that you cannot possibly drink it all at one time. You'll
have to drink it just a little at a time. It's so bitter. Sometimes you'll go along for
a while and that cup will be put back in your hand and you'll
have to take another sip out of it. And then you know you
go a little while and things will be okay and then that cup
will, you'll remember that cup and you'll have to take another
drink out of it. And you may, you know, and everybody gets
one of them. Everybody will get one sooner
or later. And there's no telling how many
in this congregation's got one right now that they're drinking. And the only thing that makes
it worth anything is it comes from our Father's hand. And I tell you, once you start
drinking it, you can't drink it all at once. Our Lord drunk
his dry, but you and I are not our Lord. Every once in a while you gotta
take a sip out of it. Oh, that's tough. Lord, I, Lord, I'm sorry
I done that. I'm sorry I feel this way. I'm
so ashamed of what I feel. And He'll bring you back some
memories that you done, and He'll put that cup right back there,
and you have to take another sip out of it. What a blessed Savior. If it's
come from His hand, If it come from his hand, it's right, it's
good. Bless his name. And we'll take
that cup. With one hand, we'll take his
cup, and with the other, we'll reach and get his hand and say,
Lord, I kiss the hand of your providence that you gave me this
cup. You're a good God. You're a gracious
God. You're a merciful God. You're
a forgiving God. And you pity us as a father pities
his child, knowing that we're dust. Kiss his hand with providence
with one and take the cup with the other. I love you and appreciate you. I love you, pastor. And I love you all. I always
enjoy coming up here. Thank you for allowing me to
come. Appreciate you very much.