Examination Day

Same here, this morning.

Well, amen. You may be seated. Good to see you this morning. You glad to be here and me and me to thank you. John Noel. Thank you brother Matt for having me feel your Pulpit today. I know he takes that serious and and I hope I won't embarrass him today. I'm so privileged to have almost all my family with me. I travel a lot and I was in Kentucky last week, the Panhandle Florida, the week before that I'll be at Alamo Georgia. I'm going to the Alamo next week. And then the week after that, I'll be in Mississippi. And so it's a privilege for me to have most of my family today with me. That doesn't happen very often and so I'm thankful for that and thankful for my children who were able to come and help me in worship us today and she'll get with you. I want you to turn the book of 2nd Corinthians in chapter number 13. The book of 2nd Corinthians chapter number 13. That's the book right after 1st Corinthians, okay? So some of you've got to be out of be helpful. For you, I know, right? But we're going to be looking today or I'm entitled today's message called examination day and and we're going to be looking at the idea of, of examining our life to see if we are in the face. The Apostle Paul writes to the church at Corinth in the book of 2nd Corinthians, we believe they're probably were three letters that were written to the church at Corinth only two of those made, the kin of scripture, one of them was lost and the guys just because God didn't want it in there, I believe, but but he was riding in defense of his apostleship because there were some people in the congregation of the Church of Courant there in Greece, they were they were challenging the fact is that whether not he was able to be called a legitimate Apostle and he wrote what it what we would say is I almost an autobiographical sketch in chapter number 11 of what he went through. And if you think you've Trouble just scale back to that this afternoon, to read through that list of what all the Apostle Paul had to endure for the sake of the Gospel, but but he couldn't wait X pole starts out. He rides as you know, if you have a good Bible teacher in your Pulpit. He writes in his Doctrine, this is what we believe. And then the last part of it is the practical application of what we believe, right? It's, it's good to know what we believe, so we can practice what we believe we can start practicing. But not know what we believe and then we're, we get the cart ahead of the horse and so we going to make sure that we're not doing that. And so here he says I'm going to read verses 13 1 through 5 and I'm going to ask you to if you would this morning, I know you're all comfy but you'll get me one last chance to stretch before you sit for about an hour and a half. If you'll stand with me in the reading an audio reading of God's word and 2nd Corinthians Chapter 13, Verse 1, through 5 says this. This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact has to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three Witnesses. I have previously said, when present the second time and though now absent, I say in advance to those who have sinned, and in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone. You know, that means they're in trouble, right? First number three, says, since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me and who is not weak toward you. But my tnu4 indeed, he was crucified because of weakness yet he lives. Because of the power of God for, we also are weak in him yet. We will live with him because of the power of God directed toward you. Then he hears the exhortation test yourselves to see if you are in the face examine yourselves or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that? Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed, you fail the test, may the Lord bless the reading of his word, you may be seated.

So, polish turning, what they've been saying on them and saying, hey, you need to, you need to test yourself. You need to examine yourself to see if you're in the face. And if he's calling for that, then there ought to be something evident in a person's life that they have been born again, right? This means. Yes, I'll preach shorter if you if you agree with me. Okay, this means yes. Right. That was so, so here we are. We're saying there are there ought to be something that would give evidence in in our lives. For example, if I go out in my yard and I plant a blueberry bush, is it going to grow strawberries? Know what you going to grow blueberries, right? Because it's a blueberry bush and the same. With any other kind of plan, it's going to be it's going to Bear. Its kind. OK. Defraud that comes out of that is going to Bear the kind of tree or bush that it is an insult. Paul here is saying to test yourselves, which means to try or approve in a good sense and so he's asking them is is there enough evidence in your life to convince you before a jury of being guilty of being a follower of Jesus Christ? I think about that for a moment, think about that in regards to your own life, think about that in regards to how you live your life day in and day out if you were tried before, a group of individuals that dwelled with you would you be guilty? I'll being convicted that you indeed are a Christian. Horses here to examine yourselves. Now, that word examine their means to distinguish or discern it comes from a, it comes from a Greek word, dokimazo. Sounds like a Japanese car. But it's, it's this idea that that He is wanting them to to, to make sure that this is authentic that this is an authentic life in Christ because you all know people that say oh I'm a Christian, I've been saved right now, I got saved when I was in vacation bible school. I had been in church since been in that was thirty years ago, right? And then, you know, as well as I do that that's not New Testament Christianity. But there are a multitude of people out there that think that there are multiple people are holding out, hope their family members that are living like that, but they're too weird to confront that kind of living. And and look at that, under the microscope of the word of God. But if we were going to approve it, something's authentic, let's say that you've got a, a ring that Grandma had right that that that you want to see if it's authentic. You would take it to a jeweler and that Jeweler would get that little spectacle thing. He's got called a loop out and he would put that there. We've never been to one of those places. We don't have stuff like that, but but he would, he would take that Loop out and he would look and he wouldn't cave lenses in it and it's a table for him to enable him to look inside the diamond to see if it's authentic. And, and you're really hoping that that big rock that Grandma had is really the genuine saying, right? And when you get there you're really hoping and then all of a sudden he he goes and you know that's not good for you when he does that when he looks in there and he goes this is not, this is not all fake, why? Because he did a, he did a deep examination of the, of the diamond. And so when you and I get saved, what happens to us is the holy spirit comes to live inside of us. He takes a dead heart. That's, that's there. That's a muscle that pumping blood, right? That's not what I'm talkin about. The inside of you, write your, your soul is dead at that point, and he calls is it to become alive. You're an eternal being before that you're just going to hell. But when you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes inside of you, any changes you, he regenerates you from the inside and that should have outward ramifications. When he saved you, you you, you begin to get convicted about things and some things change in your life and it's good for us, from time to time to make sure that we are, we are examining our own lines. You know, Jonathan Edwards was the greatest, intellects of America ever produced, they believe in the 1700's, he's a pastor and a a theologian. And and and he said an unexamined life is not worth living. And so, we need to think about that as we as we walk through this journey, but I wonder what those evidences would be. So I have 10 of them. So you got to listen fast. Okay, cuz I'm going to get done in record time this morning last time, I appreciate it was just two hours, so I'm going to try to go fast today. You're all laughing, but you don't really know cuz I never preached here.

Evidence. Number one is that we have a love for God. Do we have a love for God? In fact, is Jesus talks about this and Luke 10. And then Matthew chapter 22, you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. And so we should have a a love for God when we get saved, what happens to us is our affections change, okay? That's important for us to know our affections change, the things that that we love the most begin to take a backseat to the king of glory. And if that didn't happen, then I would question whether or not you really were born again. you see if Jesus is not the most important person in your life, I would question whether or not, you know, him Psalm 42:1 says As the deer pants for the water Brooks so my soul pants for you. Oh God. So our minds no longer set on the flesh, but it's set on it, set on the spirit, it said, on the things of God in Romans chapter 8, we see that in. So so we have a love for God. Now, by the way. Loving God is not some kind of warm fuzzy experience. Love is an action verb. Love is demonstrated I can tell my wife. Hey baby, I love you. I love you. I don't ever show her. Guess what? She done believe me. There needs to be some action behind that. I need to follow that up. Well, guess what? Jesus says, if you love me. You'll obey me. And so we can sit in the Pew say Oh How I Love Jesus 25 thousand times but never demonstrate that. We love him to prove that what I we said in the future when we sang was in vain. There were just words that were coming out of our mouths that we didn't really mean. Now I know that they're going to be people in here today that are genuine Believers you been born again the spirit of God, but as I walk through these things you're at this is going to bring some form of a Reviving presents to you cuz you're going to be convicted. Hey, I don't I don't have this where I need it to be right now. If you don't, if you got them all in order, when we get done today, I'll sit down tonight and let you teach Okay, because I don't have all these in the Perfection, the way they need to be. This is the word of God, that's examining us today. And so I'm, I'm saying, evidence number one is that, there's an Evidence in our life that we love. God, supremely above all others. The second thing is that people see that there has been a repentance from sin, a repentance from sin, 2nd Corinthians 7:10, says this for the sorrow that is according to the will of God, produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation. But the sorrow of the world, produces death, Now, anytime I get someone then comes to me and and, and talk to them about the sorrow of their sin. My question is always this, it's always this with me as well. It is, is this question? Are you? Sorry, you got caught or are you? Sorry that you send against the holy God? You see the great difference of that is one of them is going to produce a repentance that's going to lead to eternal life. That's the one that's got the Deep heartfelt sorrow that I have sinned and grieve the spirit of God that I have been out of quench. The spirit of God in my life that my sin not only affects me but it affects my family and fix my church family and it affects the Community of Christ at large. So I'm grieved over that not the fattiest. But now everybody knows You know, we've had politician show up on television and they're sorry, and they've got tears and they just apologized and all these kinds of things, but it did not change their behavior. Their behavior did not change. That was a worldly repentance, a worldly sorrow that doesn't lead to eternal life. But a genuine believer says, you know, what that's sand is against God, and I'm going to stop it. Even if it's one of those besetting sins I'm going to go to war against and I'm going to get I'm going to I'm going to do what it says in James chapter 4. I'm going to I'm going to confess my sins to one another and pray for another. We might be healed that we would that we would be able to do that. I'm going to get accountability partner in this area and I'm going to go to war against this sin in my life. And demonstrate a Biblical repentance, when Paul would go into a place. Like, when he went to Thessaloniki said, you know what the testimony among you guys are so great. We saw you turn from serving Idols to the Living, God to serve him and that's many of your testimonies in here. I'm sure that one day you were walking after the things of this world and all of a sudden you were going or if we saved and all those things didn't mean as much to you anymore because you were now serving the king of glory.

So number two is repentance of seeing number three, would be a genuine humility. A genuine humility before God realizing that that you're you're not the piggy went to the picture that Jesus gives in the scripture about the Publican and the Pharisee, the Publican is the one whose God have mercy on me. A sinner. He's beating his chest. A Pharisee stand up there. Thank you Lord. I'm not like those people.

Well, sometimes I'm afraid that's folks in the church are like that. And I have forgotten where they come from. They have forgotten where they were when Jesus found them. Maybe it's Jesus is found them at all. But it's the one who knew about it's broken. That is the humble person. The fact that Jesus talks about this, and in Matthew chapter five, right? Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, right? What they morning for what's going on their world around them, their own condition? The sinfulness. Blessed are the gentle for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed, are the merciful for they shall receive her? Seats are all pictures of humility is the idea that we humble ourselves under a mighty God, and what we have received, we know that we've received it and there's nothing we could do to earn it. And now, therefore we wanted. We want everybody that we know, the know this thing that we have In humility, we want to go to them. And and even if we're persecuted even if we are are, are are spit on or whatever else that we are going to continue to humbly preach Christ to live for Christ in you and not be surprised when the world hates this. And it's this idea that I, I don't have to always have my way. Oh, how our homes would be different if every individual mom, dad. And, and, and all the little ones included said this. I don't have to have my way. I got a bracelet at the house, I wear a buddy of mine who's in the ministry that we partner to go do a lot of stuff with International pastors and I'll wear it from time to time. It says, it's not about me. That's a good reminder for the Christian. It's not about you. It's not about me and that's never more demonstrated than it is in your own home. You see we put on a show here, can't we? You probably did it this morning. Some of y'all got in an argument on the way to church, I had further to drive had a greater opportunity.

You walk in the door. You got killed one another. In the van, you walked in the door. They said, how you doing fine? Doing fine now. I realize we don't need to air out all of our laundry. Every time we go but sometimes we put on a avenir, don't we? We lack humility. You could be say, hey, I'm having a rough day, pray for me. Maybe I'd be a little more authentic. Hello, more genuine. by the way, maybe those were not like that is why the people down there said they're not coming to church because there's full of Hippocrates right now. I tell him when they say that's a no, we got room for one more so you can come on.

Be quick on my feet with my mouth has got me in a lot of trouble.

Evidence number for see, I told you we going to be done before, you know it, you'll be, you'll be home taking a nap. Evidence number for its were devoted to God's glory. The person is genuinely stayed really wants to God to be glorified in their life. First Corinthians 10:31 Paul makes this statement where then we eat or drink or whatever we do. We do it all to the glory of God. God has created us to glorify him. He's made us to glorify him and he's made us to enjoy our relationship with him. And so, we should enjoy glorify his name. We should enjoy bringing him glory. In fact, as Isaiah, seven and 43, seven, everyone who is called by my name and whom I have created for my glory, there it is. You've been created for the glory of God. So your life and my life should bring him glory without is it has that done by obeying him by doing what his book? What the book says, why buy it by obeying his word by reading it memorizing, meditating on it all those things. And then we do we want to bring God's glory and how we live. Evidence number five is continuous prayer. 1st. Thessalonians 5:17 says this to pray without ceasing. you know, when, when we get shave prayer becomes our way we communicate with the father, He becomes the way that we that we access him. You know, the Bible says that we're not to be anxious for anything, but if I buy everything by prayer and supplication with, make our requests known to God, where to where to be continually people are prey where to be devoted to prayer Colossians 4:2. And so those of us as Believers, we all do continually be in prayer. Now does that mean that that you can't talk to me? Because you're always pray and no. Does that mean you have to pray for hours and hours and hours on in? No thankfully, right? Boy, that does mean, is that that I'm in constant communion with the father even when I'm working, or I'm doing a task G, mowing her, or whatever, I'm doing around the farm, or or are driving, me, doesn't matter. I'm Charles Spurgeon used to say this, he said I rarely ever pray for a solid hour without stopping, but I rarely go an hour without praying when I'm awake. That's this idea of constant communion with the father. Now sometimes prayers, our last option in it, especially for some of us Bubba's in here. Some of us men we going to fix it, aren't we? What, what's the first thing you want to do? When your wife brings you a problem? Go ahead and confess, you want to fix it, don't you, and bring you some of you been married long enough. Now, you know, that's not what she wants. She just wants you to listen, right? But why would be the option is what would what would option A look like, if prayer, really was our first thing when, when your wife come to you with a problem, you say, oh honey, let's pray about it.

She loved to have a stroke. You may have to call the ambulance. Cuz that's not our first order and it's the holy spirit's really active in our lives. And so we we say hey let's let's pray about this. Continual prayer number number 6, and other evidence of being born again, or any in this examination, day would be a Selfless. Love this idea, then that we love the people that we are around now. We we don't necessarily like what everybody does but we're still called to love them. 1st John 2 9 says the one who says he's in the light and yet hates his brothers in the darkness. Until now, 1st John 3:14 says we know that we've passed out of death into life because we love the Brethren, he who does not love abides in death. And so the love of God for those of us who've been safe pours forth which is also gives us the ability to forgive, right, those who sin against us, those who don't act or function. The way we think they ought to act in function. I know that's not hearers only in the church. We attend.

But I'm too. I'm too love. I'm too. I'm to love the people that I go to church with now. Now it's easy to love the lovable Admit. But the unlovable you just had somebody popping your head, didn't you? The unlovable is really where the acid test of Christianity comes. Can I move Beyond with the way you treat me, or what you said to me, or what you said to my family, or what you've done? Can I move beyond that? And can I really show you the love? That is required of me to show you because I'm a Christian.

Well, that's easy preaching, tough living right there in it.

you know what I found out is, it's easier for me to get over that, if you're talkin about me, But it's not easy for my family to get over with. And it's easier for for, for them to get over it quicker than it is for me, if they're talking about them, right? Because we're not fully Sanctified and we have to fight through that. We have to wrestle through that. You said got to know what your word says right now. But I need your help, right? And The Holy Spirits able to help that

So we have a Selfless Love. A number seven is a separation from the world.

I'm going to metal here a little bit, okay? 1st John 2:15, says, do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. And that means we, we we show our love and affection by where we spend our time and what we do. We show our love and affection towards the things that that and that we are giving ourselves to, with our entertainment, what we're viewing, what we're listening to, and all of those things, I will have people from time to time. They say, what, what do you think Jesus said thinks about television? Well, you know, Jesus, and I've never had a face-to-face conversation about that, but when I, when I think about this idea of a Pella Vision, in an army, Dia, and all the things that we are consumed in bombarded with today, I really have boiled it down to this. My question is, then another question back to them. Let's say you were on your couch at home and you read some popcorn, right? You're sitting there on your couch and you're eating some popcorn. You got this big flat-screen thing in front of there and you're in the mind-numbing stage, right? Whatever you're watching picture Jesus, coming through the door coming in and sat down beside you. Reaching over, Get Low your popcorn and you'd share, right? You might not share with your kid but you're going to share with Jesus if he comes in there, be a good idea.

And you watch all that you're watching. Was Jesus sitting there beside you? And you're not the least bit convicted or uncomfortable. Then I would say, it's okay to keep watching.

But imma give you some real good grammar here. If you ain't

You probably ought to stop.

I wonder if you would like your picture on the screen today with your face and everything you've viewed.

this week when it was on the phone, the computer, or the television,

Don't think you'd like it many of you.

And I'm saying this because many times we want God to do something Our Lives. but when you put garbage in, That's what's down in the bucket, right? That's what's down in the well and what comes up in the bucket Dennis garbage. That's why we can't get delivered from some things because we're holding on to some things in this world and its system. That we can't get rid of my say, you're always agitated. You're always agitated and aggravated in. You can't figure out what it is but you play Fox news. 24/7 in your house.

Listen to me now. I know I've done missed some of you up.

But let me just tell you, if you listen that 24/7, you're going to be agitated, I'm a preacher of the Gospel, I can't listen to it like that or I'm agitated, right?

Because that's what sells that's what gets viewers involved and you could do the same thing with the Clinton News Network to CNN's the same thing. You could do the same thing with that. Some of you get that about lunchtime

I need to behave, Donuts.

But you look at then you go about half, that isn't even true.

And I don't know what's true and what's not anymore with what they're telling me. This is what I know. This is true.

And I want to spend more my time in this than I do with that. And I'm going to be a better person if I spend more time in this, then I am viewing that and we could we could go on to a lot of other things. Separation from the world. We do, we get involved in all kinds of activities that take us away from the church. Travel ball. All kinds of other things that take us out of the house of God. And in in in there just unnecessary. I don't think we're making a good statement when we do that are you saying we should never miss church? Because another event I realize there are occasions but that should be the man should be the It should not be the rule. It should be very occasional thing. So we're separated from the world in the things of the world. And we may have to stop some activities to do that. Evidence number eight. I just figured I'd drill that one a little bit cuz I knew it hit some of us there is no rate of spiritual growth. Yeah, I did. One of the things that that, we, if we're staying, we going to be growing spiritually, Luke a 15-6, but the speed in the good saw, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart and hold it fast and they bear fruit with perseverance. Some 30, some 60, some a hundredfold. What bearing fruit of their kind and it's the fruit of a holy spirit, right? Love joy. Peace, patience. Kindness goodness, faithfulness. Generals to self control. Those are all fruits of the spirit that oughta be coming out of a life of the believer and there ought to be some growth there. Now, we don't want to look at gross day by day because our growth chart day-by-day looks like this, right? Sometimes But let's look at it a year at a time. That's look at it. Ten years at a time. I've been saved. Now, 32 years been preaching 30 almost a 33 years. Let's look at it from there to here. Oh yeah, yeah. Big difference, big difference places. I used to hang out with all the Long Branch in the copperhead When I first got saying anything named after a poisonous snakes, not a good place. Let me just go ahead and tell you.

Big difference. in my life here and here, And I hope God gives me another 20-30 years. There's a big difference from here. Cuz they are. Because I need a shirt that says, I'm still under construction. I appreciate your patience.

I'm not perfect. I have not arrived yet, but there should be some spiritual going grow from the getting in point to where we are now. If we are indeed Christians evidence number 9 is obedient living. We've kind of touched on that a little bit, but listen to what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my father, who is in heaven will enter

You show me? Somebody says they got saved. They don't care about the will of God for their life. I'll show somebody. You should somebody. That's been they've deceived themselves into thinking that they are saved.

We should be concerned about the will of God for our lives. Jesus said, in John 10:27, my sheet, hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. they follow me, there's a desire inside of us to follow him in Jesus, in John 14:21, I made reference to this earlier, he who has my Commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me and he, who loves me Will Be Loved by my father, and I will disclose myself to him, It's a world Bank rice. Now I would say this that many times we sit when we think about seeing them a speech on CNN tonight. And this is general form of of the seriousness of seeing, I'm not sure yet. But when I, when I think about Sin and we think about it, we always think about those things that we commit that are terrible. I want to submit to you. I travel all over the country and all over the world. I want to submit to you this I think the greatest sin in the church as the things. We know that do good that we don't do them. And James says, to those things to your sin.

I would say the greatest hindrance in the church in America is the things that we know we should be doing but we're disengaged.

We've chosen to let others do it.

And we pull back. I love this one. I've done my time with your X, not over yet. You said how, you know, my times not over preacher cuz you're still going.

And when you climb stairs, right? The moment you stop that got finished with you. He's not done with you and God knows your body. Can't do what it used to can. I get a witness. I'm only 55 it sure doesn't feel like 25. And my dad before he passed away last year. Said, You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, boy?

He tell me getting old is not for sissies. And there's a lot of Truth to that because it's difficult in those years, but Jesus said you're my friends. If you do what I command of your life, characterize obedience. The word of God.

Number 10. Hunger for God's word.

1st Peter 2 says this, therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like, newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word. So they buy it, you may grow in respect of Salvation. If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord, for those of us who are shade, we ought to desire to read the word of God. We had a desire to study the word of God. We had a desire to listen to the word of God preached and to listen to the word of God taught, if that's not a desire for us and you think you're shaved, you're fooling yourself. You're deceived. You're like a man who goes as James said and looks at himself in the mirror and sees who he looks like, and then he turns around and walks away and he done forgot.

You see if you plan on. Blueberry bush. You get blueberries.

So, the question is this?

In your life. if your life was on trial with a people that are closest to you that you live with it, you dwell with And they could make a secret verdict behind closed doors, just like a jury did. If I had my kids panel, they were mic'd up. My, they were my parents, and my wife was on it. Could I go away or they can go in another room? And I could sit there and wait and come back.

And So based upon the evidence that we see in your life, Because of the word of God, we find you guilty. Abilene Christian.

He said my brother Ronnie we're not saved by works. No, but saved. Say people work Works have a way of working out. That's why Paul says to work out your fear with your salvation with fear and trembling, it's gone who should work in but your then to meet him in that part of your to be a part of the sanctification process and how all that works. Were God leaves off and we begin and where all that works out. We don't know when our finite Minds. But God, dancing and he knows that.

And so the question is, what would the verdict be when they came back in the room?

Would you be nervous?

Would you wonder?

I had a lady. Young lady mother of two in the panhandle of Florida recently. When I was over there just a few weeks ago. And I talked about having evidence in your life of Salvation, on an, on a Sunday morning. And and, and and she was crying weeping. She was a church member

Her husband was a church member. And he couldn't come back the rest of the revivals. Then at the services for that week, we went to Wednesday night and it but she came back Sunday night and she was broken again during the invitation and Monday night. She came in and she was broken again during invitation.

I don't Tuesday night. She showed up and said his invitation time, she came to the preacher. Look. I'm living a lie.

I know inside of known for a long time that I'm not shaved. There's not been evidence in my life. I'm putting on a good veneer, right? I'm putting on a good covering, you know, what plywood he is with veneer on it. It changes the value about $100 but it's just veneer. It's just that as a little small skim over it. She knew that she was putting on a show.

But she really didn't know the savior. Well, I'll just tell you she was gloriously save that night. And the whole church rejoiced.

And in the past Raptor said, your husband going to be surprised about this that you've done this. She said no. Casino.

What about you?

Maybe you're here today. So, you know what I'm saying? These things are in my life, but they're not where they should be. I'm coasting. I'm on, autopilot.

I'm not engaged in the things of God. I'm not hungry for the things of God. I'm hungry for all kinds of other stuff right football.

Hungry, fer.

Entertainment.

Food Rite. Message, all kinds of other things, but God.

I like to eat, but I'd rather preach to meet

But why would they come back in and say about you?

And ultimately what's the Holy Spirit saying to you now?

What's the spirit of God saying to your heart right now?

After you begin the examination. And testing yourself to see if you're in the face. By the way, this is not a work space salvation. This is this is a Grace Bay vacation. But it has evidence. He has evidence. And it may not be what it should be, because you've been disobedient, but it's there. And you know, whether it's there or it's not.

And so would you be guilty?

One of my sons came to me. Many years ago, someone is in Mississippi now. He prayed a prayer to receive Christ when he was about eight or nine and I held him off, as long as I can hold him off. If anybody knew him, he's he's strong-willed headed. Hard-working hard-nosed. It is hard to hold him off of about anything special at biscuit.

But I held him off as long as I could, because I really wanted them to understand what sin was feel, the conviction of sin and those things and he was in an environment playing a sport that that was with a lot of pagan people, his freshman sophomore junior year and and he, he was the kid that didn't cuss. He's the kid that didn't look at anything you want. Suppose he was the kid. He was that kid and everybody knew it.

But as we were, I'm watching his life up close. Okay. Well he's not doing all those things.

I'm watching this life up close and I talked to his mom and I said I've been I've been thinking At the spirit of God is not living inside of him. And I'm going to begin to pray that God would show him that. I watch him in and worship in church. And I believe he's dead. Inside spiritually.

About three weeks after start praying about that. I'm in my office early 6:31 morning to have my quiet time.

It's Josiah. Tears. Rolling office face. He said, Dad. I got to talk to you. Should I have dream last night? A dream that that the devil was this great Dragon which the Bible talks about, right? And and I had this dream that he was eating people up on the earth and spitting them in the Lake of Fire.

And he said that it scared me.

He said, I don't think I'm saved. I don't put a lot of stock and dreams. Okay, this dream didn't save him. This dream was a revelation from God, this is the Revelation from God, there's no new revelation from. You need to flip off the TV and run. Cuz they're all done. Touch your dipstick spiritually.

Hear me now.

I said, well, I don't think you saved either.

You've heard the gospel since you were in the womb. Daily, this house.

You know what to do you want to be saved? Yes, sir fell on the floor. Begin to confess his sin to God. Pretended. Ask Jesus to be a Saviour right there on the floor, in a puddle of Tears.

They're going to be out my mind since then. Why? His life was different. Listen to me. Now, it's not about what you don't do. It's about whether or not your affections have been changed. Had no affection for God. And the things of God was they didn't smoke. Didn't cuss, didn't you didn't go through the girls to do. It was the idea that his affections had not been chance. You can, you can stop doing, you can stop drinking, you can stop, stop doping. You can stop looking at p***. You can stop all these other things, but none of that is going to save you. Only person relationship with Christ is going to save you. Now that's all the introduction. This is the sermon. Mississippi close. Jesus, when he was here on there, said this and Mark 1:14 15. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, therefore, repent and believe the gospel. You and I need to save your because we're Sinners. Bible says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death at talking about eternal death, in the destruction that like a fire. If I got what I deserved, I would die and go straight to hell because I have sinned and broken to the law of God. And there is no hope for Ronnie Smith. None.

But God demonstrates, his love for us while we were yet. Sinners Christ died for us. The Bible says, if we confess with thy mouth, the Lord, Jesus, and believe, in your heart, that God raised him from the dead will be saved. This idea that we confessing Jesus is Lord. That means he's becoming our boss, right? That means we're repenting and we're turning from the old life, and we're turning to the new life. We're going to become a follower of Jesus didn't think about it. Then it's this, this, this way right here, take the worst person that, you know, the most horrible person in your community. Do you know you think? There's no way they're saved their awful? Okay, got a person you mine. Probably do. Then.

At a moment's notice. There is made as righteous as your pastor.

Just like that. Because it's not about their righteousness, it's about the righteousness of Christ and Jesus justifies him in the moment that they prayed to receive Christ. A moment that happens. There born again. And she just now looked at them and sees the blood of his son. But give Sinners. Hope friends. You're not perfect at that point. No, but they're standing is right? Just because of the blood of Christ in the death of Aaron Resurrection.

Now, here's the tough part. I quoted to you part of Romans 6:23 for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. Okay, it's a gift. Now if I've got a gift for my daughter here, I say to Noel. This is my favorite Bible. Okay, by the way, but I'm going to give this to you. This gift to you. What does she have to do to get it? She got to reach out and take it. Then she now give me my Bible back. You can have it.

But if I say Noel, this is a gift for you. But she didn't do anything about it. She walks away. Is it hers? It's not her. See, Jesus is done everything needed to do to purchase our salvation. Nothing has to be done.

The gifts on the table.

You. How to say, you know what? I'm ready to turn from my sin. I'm ready to trust Christ as my savior. I'm ready to become a follower of Jesus. I'm ready to come and receive the gift.

That Parts on you. Nobody can do that for you. now, I'm just going to hear be here today to tell you this, if you're not saved, And you need to be safe. There's a war going on right now in your mind. I'm not going forward. I'm not doing it. I'm not doing this. I'm not doing that. And you know what? You don't have to come forward to be saved. But if you do get said, you're going to want to come, you going to want to tell people. I want to come forward, be saved infront everybody. Guess what I did? I wait until everybody walked out on Good Friday. 1993 my pastor, preached, the sermon, how did everybody walk out of the building? And then I got up and walked forward and I receive Christ as my savior, but from that moment on, I just wanted to tell everybody about somebody who could change anybody.

I have had no problem standing up saying. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. The guy that was hoping the world would end before 6. English class my junior high school cuz I was going to have to get up Stan from people talk