Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Remembering The Rainbow - 4/26/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch
Transcript
- 0:02Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
- 0:05Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
- 0:07Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
- 0:10today. If you enjoy today's message, be
- 0:12sure to subscribe, follow, and share
- 0:15with your friends. Now, let's join
- 0:17Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
- 0:20God.
- 0:26>> Praise God. Well, I'm telling you what,
- 0:29it is home sweet home. Amen. And if
- 0:31you've been down here any amount of time
- 0:33and you got Jesus on the inside, ain't
- 0:36nothing you want to stay around here
- 0:37for. Amen. And I praise his name. I'm
- 0:40going one of these days to those sunny
- 0:42banks of sweet deliverance. Amen. And I
- 0:45appreciate the grace and the goodness of
- 0:47God. Thank you ladies for singing. Thank
- 0:49you choir uh for singing today. And I
- 0:52thank all of you for being here in the
- 0:54service today. Genesis chapter number
- 0:56nine. when you find your place, if you
- 0:57would stand if you can and able. Uh,
- 1:00Genesis chapter number nine. I want to
- 1:02read just a couple of verses this
- 1:04morning. Genesis chapter number nine.
- 1:06And just trying to follow the leadership
- 1:09of the Holy Spirit these days and he's
- 1:12been giving me a word and I've enjoyed
- 1:14it, enjoyed preaching and I miss being
- 1:16here on Wednesday night, but was
- 1:18thankful for the work we was able to
- 1:19accomplish for the Rock of Ages. And I
- 1:21appreciate brother Paul filling in in my
- 1:23place. And brother Cisk is a blessing,
- 1:25ain't he? And I appreciate the man of
- 1:27God been faithful all his life and I
- 1:29appreciate that sticking by the stuff.
- 1:31That's what I want to do. Amen. Just
- 1:33stick with the stuff and stay by the
- 1:35Bible. Amen. And I do appreciate you
- 1:37being here. Let's read Genesis 9. Let's
- 1:40look in verse number 13 or verse 12.
- 1:42Genesis chapter number 9 verse number
- 1:4512.
- 1:46The Bible said, "And God said,"This is
- 1:48the token of the covenant which I make
- 1:51between me and you and every living
- 1:53creature that is with you for perpetual
- 1:56generations. I do set my bow in the
- 1:59cloud. And it shall be for a token of a
- 2:02covenant between me and the earth. And
- 2:05it shall come to pass when I bring a
- 2:07cloud over the earth that the bow shall
- 2:08be seen in the cloud. And I will
- 2:11remember my covenant which is between me
- 2:14and you and every living creature of all
- 2:16flesh. And the waters shall no more
- 2:18became a flood to destroy all flesh. And
- 2:22the bow shall be in the cloud, and I
- 2:24will look upon it, that I may remember
- 2:27the everlasting covenant between God and
- 2:30every living creature of all flesh that
- 2:32is upon the earth. And God said unto
- 2:34Noah, "This is the token of the covenant
- 2:37which I have established between me and
- 2:40all flesh that is upon the earth."
- 2:43Father, I ask you humbly this morning,
- 2:46God, as we bow for a moment of prayer,
- 2:48Lord, that you would help us today, God,
- 2:50we stand in desperate place and God, I
- 2:53have nothing to say. Lord, if you do not
- 2:55speak through me and so God, I pray that
- 2:56you would speak to me and through me
- 2:58this morning. Get all glory unto
- 3:00yourself. Hide us behind the cross.
- 3:02clothe us in our calling. And Lord, I
- 3:04pray today, Father, for that sinner
- 3:06that's here and is not saved. God, I
- 3:08pray they would see this wonderful
- 3:09message from the word of God today, God,
- 3:11that there is still a rainbow of
- 3:13shining. And Lord, I pray, God, that you
- 3:15would help us today to receive the
- 3:17truth, Lord, that you would lay on our
- 3:18hearts. I pray, Father, Lord, for that
- 3:20when it's grown cold and indifferent,
- 3:22Lord, I just can't help but feel like
- 3:23somebody here today not right with you.
- 3:25God, I pray Lord that they get right
- 3:27with you today and come back to a place
- 3:29of fellowship and nearness, God, unto
- 3:31you. And Lord, I ask that you would get
- 3:33glory unto yourself above all else. And
- 3:35we'll thank you for what you do because
- 3:37we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. And amen,
- 3:40you can be seated. Thank you for
- 3:42standing with us this morning. Genesis
- 3:45chapter number nine dawns a new day and
- 3:48age in the record of history in your
- 3:51Bible. Of course, we have considered up
- 3:53to this point, we've considered the
- 3:55Adamic covenant that was made with Adam
- 3:58when he was in the Garden of Eden. And
- 4:00then we've also considered that
- 4:02antidoluvian age that follows from
- 4:04Genesis 5 all the way through Genesis
- 4:08chapter number 7 into chapter number
- 4:10eight. But what we're seeing here in
- 4:12Genesis 9 is the beginning of a new day
- 4:15and a new age in the time of history.
- 4:18And what has what you've seen here is
- 4:20that Noah has been delivered through the
- 4:22flood here in Genesis 9. He has given
- 4:25him a command. In verse number one of
- 4:28Genesis 9, if you're taking notes, this
- 4:30is number one by way of introduction
- 4:32this morning. He's given Noah a command
- 4:34to love. Notice what the Bible says. God
- 4:37blessed Noah and his sons and said unto
- 4:39them, "Be fruitful and multiply and
- 4:42replenish the earth." And so we know
- 4:45that Noah and his three sons and their
- 4:47wives were all that were left behind
- 4:49after the flood here. And they were
- 4:51delivered through on the ark unto this
- 4:54new land unto new life. And here they
- 4:57are commanded to love and to be fruitful
- 4:59and to multiply and replenish the earth.
- 5:02Amen. And I want to say this to you this
- 5:04morning. Let's just put put it out there
- 5:07for all of us to hear loud and clear.
- 5:09Amen. this demonic society that we have
- 5:12that tells young ladies and young men
- 5:14that they should not get married and
- 5:16they should not have children, friend,
- 5:18that's straight out of the pits of hell.
- 5:19Amen. God's command is still in place.
- 5:22Amen. It's still there to be fruitful
- 5:25and multiply. You realize this world,
- 5:27hey friend, the Muslims, they're having
- 5:29them by the dozens. Amen. And Christian
- 5:32people seemingly don't want to have any
- 5:34children. Amen. We ought to be birthing
- 5:36children into this world. Amen. if
- 5:38they're not going to be if we can't win
- 5:40them, we ought to be winning our own.
- 5:41Somebody say amen right there. And that
- 5:44command still stands this morning. And I
- 5:46see not only the command to love here in
- 5:48the text, but I I see the conditions for
- 5:51living that are mentioned here in the
- 5:53text, verses 2 through verse number
- 5:55four. The Bible says, "The fear of you,
- 5:57and the dread of you shall be upon every
- 6:00beast of the earth, and upon every foul
- 6:02of the air, and upon all that moveth
- 6:04upon the earth, and upon all the fishes
- 6:06of the sea. Into your hand are they
- 6:09delivered." And so here begins in this
- 6:11text the animal creation to fear mankind
- 6:15and mankind becomes the top of the food
- 6:18chain here in this text. And we notice
- 6:21not only the fear of the animals life
- 6:23but we notice the flesh for eating
- 6:25that's mentioned in verse number three.
- 6:27Look what your Bible says. Every moving
- 6:29thing that liveth shall be meat for you.
- 6:32Even as the green herb have I given you
- 6:35all things. Amen. And so, aren't you
- 6:37thankful we don't have to go by Moses
- 6:39law? Amen. Thank God for bacon. Somebody
- 6:41say amen right there. Amen. I like this
- 6:44noic covenant a lot better. Amen. But he
- 6:47said, "Every living thing shall be meat
- 6:49for you." And the Bible says in verse
- 6:51number four, "But flesh with the life
- 6:53thereof, which is the blood thereof
- 6:55shall ye not eat." All right. Now, let
- 6:57me plug this for just a minute. Amen.
- 6:59We'll get to the message this morning.
- 7:01Hey, if you eat your steak medium or
- 7:03lower than that, there's something wrong
- 7:04with you. Amen. Amen. You need to cook
- 7:07that thing cuz the Bible says in verse
- 7:09number four, hey, it's biblical. Look
- 7:11what your Bible says, but flesh with the
- 7:13life thereof. What's it say, church,
- 7:15which is the blood thereof. Amen. Hey,
- 7:18if that thing still got blood in it,
- 7:20it's still alive. Amen. Somebody say,
- 7:21"Amen." Right there. Cook that meat.
- 7:24Amen. Don't eat it raw. Amen. But we
- 7:26roast it with fire. Amen. And so I
- 7:28notice the flesh in the text. Hey, it's
- 7:30all right to laugh. Amen. But this is
- 7:32the conditions for living that's given
- 7:35unto Noah here in the text. And on a
- 7:37more serious note, you note not only the
- 7:39command to love and the conditions for
- 7:41living, but notice thirdly, the
- 7:43consideration of life. In verse number
- 7:45five, look what your Bible says. And
- 7:47surely your blood of your lives will I
- 7:50require at the hand of every beast will
- 7:52I require it. And at the hand of man, at
- 7:55the hand of every man's brother will I
- 7:57require the life of man. And so
- 7:59instituted here in Genesis chapter
- 8:02number nine is the emphasis upon capital
- 8:05punishment. Amen. And when we destroyed
- 8:07that in this country, that is where our
- 8:09nation began to go down. It is not
- 8:11justly punished. Crimes are not justly
- 8:14punished in this country the way that
- 8:15they should be. But God ordained it in
- 8:18this text. He said, "For the life of
- 8:19man's blood shall that man's blood be
- 8:22required at beast hand and at man's
- 8:24hand." Amen. And I want to say this to
- 8:27you. In a nation, amen, that frowns upon
- 8:29us, if a dog bites a little baby,
- 8:31they'll frown upon you for taking the
- 8:33life of that dog, but they abort babies
- 8:35by the millions. Let me just preach
- 8:37right there for a minute. Amen. If that
- 8:39dog or that animal hurts a child, amen,
- 8:42IT OUGHT TO HAVE ITS LIFE TAKEN. AMEN.
- 8:44>> You ought not keep that thing, that
- 8:46sorry animal around if it's no good, no
- 8:48better than that. Amen. Verse six, he
- 8:51says, "Who so shedth man's blood, by man
- 8:53shall his blood be shed. for in the
- 8:56image of God made he man. So there's the
- 8:59consideration of life in punishment, but
- 9:02there's also the consideration of life
- 9:04in procreation. In verse 7, look what he
- 9:06says. He reate reiterates it again. And
- 9:09you be ye fruitful and multiply, bring
- 9:12forth abundantly in the earth and
- 9:15multiply therein. God reiterates it
- 9:18twice here in the text that Noah and his
- 9:20family were to replenish the earth. And
- 9:23I see this morning the command to love,
- 9:25the conditions for living. I see the
- 9:27consideration of life. But I want to
- 9:29preach to you this morning on this
- 9:31thought out of verse number, notice
- 9:33verse number nine. The Bible says, "And
- 9:35behold, I behold I establish my covenant
- 9:38with you and with your seed after you."
- 9:41And I want to look at this thought, "The
- 9:42covenant that will last." And I want to
- 9:45preach for just a little while this
- 9:46morning on this thought on remember the
- 9:49rainbow.
- 9:51remember the rainbow. I was thinking
- 9:54about it this morning as I was riding on
- 9:57the way to church and and uh I went and
- 9:59got me a biscuit this morning. Somebody
- 10:00say, "Praise God for that." Amen.
- 10:03>> And I was looking over the tops of the
- 10:05trees and you know, we've been in a
- 10:06drought here for some time in North
- 10:08Carolina. Much part of the country's
- 10:10been in a drought. It was dry where we
- 10:11was at down there in southern Tennessee.
- 10:13And I was thinking about it this
- 10:15morning. the trees. It almost looked as
- 10:17if their branches were stretching out
- 10:19and those leaves have turned that bright
- 10:21green from that water that's been upon
- 10:23those branches. And I was thinking in my
- 10:25heart, praying to the Lord driving down
- 10:27the road, Lord, thank you for sending
- 10:29the rain. Amen. To nourish the ground.
- 10:31Amen. And I'm reminded of what God
- 10:33promised in Genesis chapter 8 and verse
- 10:3622 for this crowd that believe
- 10:38doomsday's coming. Just notice the
- 10:40promise that God gave in verse 22. while
- 10:43the earth remain and seed time and
- 10:45harvest and cold and heat and summer and
- 10:47winter and day and night shall not
- 10:49cease. I just want to submit to you this
- 10:51morning, as long as there's people here
- 10:54and as long as life's going in going on,
- 10:56the world's not going to end. Amen. Hey,
- 10:58this thing's not coming to a close. God
- 11:00promised, hey, seed time and harvest
- 11:02cold, he said, winter and cold and
- 11:04summertime and hot, amen, it's going to
- 11:07be here until God says it's no longer
- 11:09going to be here. And I want to deal
- 11:10with this covenant this morning for just
- 11:13a little while and preach on that
- 11:14thought. Remember the rainbow. You see
- 11:17the rainbow is a beautiful image. This
- 11:19and it's still a beautiful image in this
- 11:21day and time when I look outside some of
- 11:24the most beautiful sight. Some of the
- 11:25most beautiful uh pictures that are
- 11:27taken and paintings and murals and
- 11:29things that are done are done of
- 11:31rainbows and the image that's in the
- 11:34sky. And there's no coincidence, a
- 11:36ma'am, that this is a promise that's
- 11:38given here in the text. And I I notice
- 11:40in this covenant that will last. Notice
- 11:42this. And then we'll get into the
- 11:44message this morning. He makes this
- 11:46covenant with the people. Look what he
- 11:48says in verse 9. He said, "And I,
- 11:50behold, I establish my covenant with
- 11:53you." Notice this. And with your seed
- 11:56after you. So you know what this means?
- 11:58This covenant stands
- 12:01with your seed after you. This is made
- 12:03as a promise unto the human race. For
- 12:06all children are born children of Noah
- 12:08and his three sons. We are Noah's seed
- 12:12this morning. And this covenant is left
- 12:14with his people. And it's left to the
- 12:16animal kingdom. Look in verse 10. And
- 12:18with every living creature that is with
- 12:20you, of the foul, of the cattle, and of
- 12:22every beast of the earth with you, from
- 12:24all that go out of the ark to every
- 12:25beast of the earth. And I will establish
- 12:28my covenant with you. Now, this there's
- 12:30the people that's mentioned, but what is
- 12:32the promise? What exactly is the
- 12:34covenant? Well, notice the promise
- 12:36that's mentioned here in verse number
- 12:3811. And I will establish my covenant
- 12:41with you, neither shall all flesh be cut
- 12:44off anymore by the waters of a flood,
- 12:47neither shall there anymore be a flood
- 12:49to destroy the earth. And God promised
- 12:52it there in Genesis 9. And throughout
- 12:54history, there's never been a flood
- 12:56that's destroyed all the human race
- 12:58again. Since the day that Noah and his
- 13:01family went into the ark, God has been
- 13:03good on his promise. Amen. Judgment has
- 13:05not come in a total figure the way that
- 13:08it came in Noah's day. And God has kept
- 13:11his promise. And I see not only the
- 13:13people and the promise, but I see the
- 13:15provision. You see, God never makes a
- 13:18covenant that he does not give an emblem
- 13:21or a figure for that covenant to seal
- 13:23it.
- 13:24>> He makes a covenant. Amen. But you see,
- 13:27he's got to give something that's going
- 13:28to be proof of that covenant. The Bible
- 13:31says in verse 12, "And God said, this is
- 13:33the token, the emblem, the symbol." Look
- 13:36what he says. This is the token of the
- 13:38covenant which I make between me and you
- 13:40and every living creature that is with
- 13:42you for perpetual generations. In verse
- 13:4513, look what your Bible says. I do set
- 13:48my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for
- 13:51a token of a covenant between me and the
- 13:54earth. Now there's an old song in the
- 13:56redback himnel that's called God put a
- 13:58rainbow in the cloud. Beautiful song. I
- 14:00love the song. Amen. But it's not
- 14:02scriptural. Amen. But the song goes says
- 14:04when God should know in the grand old
- 14:06ark, he put a rainbow in the cloud.
- 14:08Well, that promise had been made yet.
- 14:11And what I find in this text, all right,
- 14:13when we think about this thought that
- 14:15God is making this promise, this
- 14:18covenant with this people, and he gives
- 14:21this provision, this image, this
- 14:23picture, if you will, of this rainbow.
- 14:26And he says, "It shall be for a token of
- 14:29a covenant between me and the earth."
- 14:31And there's great imagery here. And I'm
- 14:32going to try my best to pull that out of
- 14:34the text this morning. But when I think
- 14:36about the rainbow, I think about the
- 14:38fact number one that there was something
- 14:40that had to preede this covenant being
- 14:43made. And what you'll notice in
- 14:46scripture, it's a redundant theme that
- 14:48there is never a covenant made without a
- 14:51sacrifice.
- 14:52And you say, "Preacher, where's the
- 14:54sacrifice in the text?" Well, if you've
- 14:57studied Genesis any amount of time, we
- 14:59didn't look at it in depth as of yet,
- 15:01but Genesis chapter number 8 and verse
- 15:0320. What your Bible say there in verse
- 15:0520? And Noah, notice this, builded an
- 15:08altar. The Bible says he builded an
- 15:11altar unto the Lord. Noah has exited the
- 15:13ark. All creation, those animals that he
- 15:16has spared, have exited the ark. And the
- 15:18Bible says he took of every clean beast
- 15:20and of every clean foul and offered
- 15:23burnt offerings on the altar. And Noah
- 15:26offers this offering as upon the exit of
- 15:29their uh their trip upon the ark. In
- 15:31verse 21, the Bible says, "And the Lord
- 15:34smelled a sweet savor." God was pleased
- 15:37by the offering of Noah. The Lord said
- 15:39in his heart, "I will not again curse
- 15:41the ground anymore for man's sake. For
- 15:44the imagination of man's heart is evil
- 15:46from his youth, neither will I again
- 15:48smite anymore every living thing as I
- 15:51have done." And so what he is telling
- 15:52them here, telling us here and saying in
- 15:55this text is is that Noah's offering,
- 15:57Noah's sacrifice was successful.
- 16:00Amen. I'm thankful Noah's sacrifice
- 16:02wasn't the only one that was successful.
- 16:03Amen.
- 16:04>> Jesus, the lamb of God that came to die
- 16:07for the sins of the world. John said he
- 16:09went to Calvar's cross and there's never
- 16:12been a sacrifice that pleased God the
- 16:14Father the way that his sacrifice did.
- 16:16And I want to say this this morning. If
- 16:18you are saved this morning, if you've
- 16:20trusted Christ by faith, you are in a
- 16:22covenant with God
- 16:25>> because of his sacrifice.
- 16:28>> Noah offered this sacrifice. And notice
- 16:30the terms of this sacrifice. It's
- 16:32mentioned in verse number verse number
- 16:35look at verse 12. And God said this is
- 16:37the token of the covenant which I make.
- 16:39Notice this between me and you. You see
- 16:44my salvation the covenant that that's
- 16:46been made for my salvation was not made
- 16:48with me.
- 16:49>> Amen.
- 16:50>> It was made with Jesus.
- 16:51>> Amen.
- 16:52>> And you know what? The covenant that God
- 16:54made with Noah that day, it was made
- 16:55with him. It was made between God and
- 16:58Noah. But it was made for all the
- 16:59generations that were to follow. Jesus
- 17:02was faithful in the covenant that him
- 17:04and God made. God was pleased. Paul said
- 17:06it this way in Corinthians. He hath made
- 17:08him to be sin for us who knew no sin
- 17:11that we might be made. The righteousness
- 17:13of God. Don't miss this. In him.
- 17:16>> Amen.
- 17:16>> Amen. The covenant's not between us and
- 17:18him, but it's between him and God. Amen.
- 17:21Jesus. There's one God and one mediator
- 17:24between God and man. That is the man
- 17:26Christ Jesus. boy's preaching good this
- 17:28morning. Amen. I'M SAYING THE COVENANT,
- 17:31IT'S NOT BASED upon you and I because
- 17:33friend, we're sinful. But aren't you
- 17:35thankful? One who is sinless and one who
- 17:37was spotless and one WHO IS PERFECT,
- 17:39PURE, AND HOLY. THE COVENANT OF MY
- 17:41SALVATION. IT IS NOT MINE, BUT IT'S HIS.
- 17:45AMEN.
- 17:46>> Paul said this, "I'm crucified with
- 17:48Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet not I,
- 17:51but Christ liveth in me." He said, he
- 17:53said, "But the life that I now live, I
- 17:55live by my faith." No, he didn't say
- 17:57that. He said, "I live by the faith of
- 17:59the son of God who loved me and gave
- 18:02himself FOR ME. MY IT'S NOT MY FAITH
- 18:04THAT SAVES ME. IT'S his faith." Amen.
- 18:07That saves me this morning. AND THANK
- 18:09GOD, GOD WAS PLEASED WITH THE SACRIFICE
- 18:12OF NOAH. And he decides to make a
- 18:15covenant with him for the preservation
- 18:18of the human race. And this covenant
- 18:20teaches us a few things. It's all it's
- 18:22always preceded by sacrifice. But I also
- 18:25want to show you this in the text. You
- 18:28see, there is not only the sacrifice for
- 18:30the covenant, but notice the setting of
- 18:33the covenant. And when I say setting,
- 18:35I'm not talking about the plot or the
- 18:37place, but I'm talking about the
- 18:39building of it. Look what he says in
- 18:40verse 13. The word is literally used.
- 18:42Look what he says. I do set my bow in
- 18:46the cloud. He set it. You know what that
- 18:49means? He's placed it. He's positioned
- 18:52it. And when I think about the rainbow,
- 18:55you think about we were to go outside
- 18:57today, you probably if you looked in a
- 18:58cloud somewhere, you'd probably see a
- 19:00rainbow somewhere. And the imagery here
- 19:03that's found in this text is this. The
- 19:05Bible says he says, "I do set my bow,
- 19:07notice this, in the cloud." He set his
- 19:11bow in the cloud. Now, I was thinking
- 19:14about this. All right? And the image
- 19:16here is this that you think about this
- 19:18cloud really. I I could say it this way.
- 19:21The cloud represents the word of God and
- 19:24herein contains that covenant.
- 19:27The cloud, he said, I set my bow in the
- 19:30cloud and we hold the King James Bible
- 19:32as God's word in our hand. But I'll say
- 19:35this, when you look on that outside, all
- 19:37you see is a cover. But you know what?
- 19:39That that covenant's within.
- 19:41>> Amen.
- 19:41>> That bow is within. Amen. AND GOD HAS
- 19:44SET it there. I want I want you TO THINK
- 19:46ABOUT THIS. THAT HAS to do with God's
- 19:48will. Notice verse 13. He says, "I do."
- 19:52Amen. The husband and the wife at the
- 19:54marriage altar, you know what they say?
- 19:56I do. Amen. That you know what that
- 19:58means? They're they're ascribing their
- 20:00will, saying that I WILL TAKE YOU AS MY
- 20:03HUSBAND. I WILL take you as my wife. God
- 20:06says, "I'm going to do it. I do set my
- 20:09bow in the cloud." It's his will. It's
- 20:11what he wanted to do.
- 20:13>> But I'll say this, it was his work, too.
- 20:15>> Amen.
- 20:15>> He's the only one that could do it.
- 20:17>> That's right.
- 20:18>> Amen.
- 20:19He's the only one that could broadcast
- 20:21that spectrum of light in the clouds.
- 20:24EVERY TIME A CLOUD COMES over full of
- 20:26water, you can look and see the rainbow
- 20:29and it's an expression of God that it is
- 20:31a work of God. Hey, friend, I don't know
- 20:33anybody that's ever looked at a rainbow
- 20:35and said, "I just don't think there's a
- 20:37God." Amen. I don't know about you, but
- 20:40anytime I see a rainbow, something wells
- 20:42up on the inside OF ME. THANK YOU, GOD,
- 20:44FOR YOUR PROMISE. BECAUSE IT AIN'T JUST
- 20:46about a promise THAT HE WOULDN'T FLOOD
- 20:48THE EARTH FOR ME, BUT IT'S ABOUT A
- 20:50PROMISE, AMEN, THAT HE WOULD GIVE ME
- 20:52FAITH TO SAVE ME FROM MY SIN. AMEN. AND
- 20:55IT REMINDS ME THAT I'VE BEEN DELIVERED.
- 20:57HALLELUJAH.
- 20:59>> But you know what? What's most
- 21:00interesting to me about this bow
- 21:03is not the sacrifice. And and indeed, I
- 21:05don't want to make light of the cross
- 21:07this morning. It's not the sacrifice,
- 21:11and it's also not the setting of it. We
- 21:13know that only God could do that. Aren't
- 21:15you thankful? There's some things in our
- 21:16life that we know only God could do.
- 21:18>> Amen.
- 21:19>> But I tell you, this is what amazes me.
- 21:22I tell you in verse number, notice verse
- 21:24number 14.
- 21:27It's not the sacrifice, it's not the
- 21:28setting, but it is the sight of this bow
- 21:32that amazes me.
- 21:34And it's not because the sight itself,
- 21:37but it's because of who's looking.
- 21:39Notice verse 14. And it shall come to
- 21:42pass when I, that's God speaking, bring
- 21:45a cloud over the earth, that the bow
- 21:47shall be seen in the cloud. And notice
- 21:50verse 15. What's that first phrase of
- 21:52verse 15? And I will remember my
- 21:56covenant.
- 21:58Now, you just think this morning the
- 21:59rainbow was put there for you,
- 22:03but it wasn't. It was in a sense, but
- 22:07God said, "It's my bow."
- 22:10And I want to give you three things this
- 22:12morning about this bow,
- 22:14about remembering the rainbow. Very
- 22:17simple, but it's true. When I think
- 22:20about this rainbow this morning, it
- 22:22reminds me of these three truths about
- 22:24God and his person. Now, I'm thankful
- 22:26God is holy and that is his essence.
- 22:29It's who he is. Amen. We say that God,
- 22:31his essence is love, but his essence is
- 22:33holiness. Amen. And out of his holiness
- 22:36proceeds a perfect love for you and I.
- 22:38Amen. And aren't you thankful that he
- 22:40did not compromise his holiness in order
- 22:42to bring some kind of life to us that
- 22:44would not last? But you see, holiness is
- 22:47the only thing that can produce eternal
- 22:49life. Amen. Paul said it this way.
- 22:51Follow holiness without which no man
- 22:54shall see the Lord. If there is not
- 22:56imputed righteousness, imputed holiness
- 22:59in your life, you cannot be saved. And
- 23:01so, I'm thankful for the holiness of
- 23:03God. I'm thankful for the love of God
- 23:05this morning. But I want to tell you
- 23:07this. I'm thankful that God is always
- 23:09aware.
- 23:11>> And when I look at this text, the rema
- 23:13the rainbow reminds me, talking about
- 23:15remembering the rainbow, the rainbow
- 23:17reminds me number one this morning that
- 23:19God is looking.
- 23:23God's looking.
- 23:25>> God is watching. You understand? The
- 23:28Bible says, "The eyes of the Lord are in
- 23:30every place. Beholding the evil and the
- 23:33good." God is watching every event that
- 23:36goes on. No matter how dark the alley,
- 23:39no matter how secret you MAY FEEL IT MAY
- 23:41BE, you understand God only not not only
- 23:43sees the physical, but he sees the
- 23:45mental. He sees the spiritual. He sees
- 23:48all of it. He sees the intents of our
- 23:50heart. Amen. And the inner motives. And
- 23:52what I'm reminded of in this text, the
- 23:55Bible says this in verse 14, it shall
- 23:58come to pass when I bring a cloud over
- 24:00the earth that the bow shall be seen in
- 24:02the cloud. And he said, "And I will
- 24:04remember my covenant." You see, this bow
- 24:07was set up there so God could see it.
- 24:10>> And you say, "Preacher, what does that
- 24:12express to me today?" Well, I want to
- 24:15say this. God's look is number one. Oh,
- 24:18man. It's a look of love.
- 24:20>> Amen.
- 24:21>> You know, I'm reminded of his truth. The
- 24:24Bible, and I got to give you this. It's
- 24:27what's on my mind. I can't get away from
- 24:28it. I'm trying to hold it off, but I
- 24:30can't get get away from it.
- 24:32You see the rainbow this morning, it's a
- 24:35reminder that God is looking because of
- 24:37this. You see, when we think about a
- 24:39rainbow, and I hope that you youngans
- 24:41know this this morning, and you know, it
- 24:44wouldn't surprise me if the schools
- 24:45don't teach this anymore because it's
- 24:47one of the greatest proofs of God's work
- 24:49that there is in creation. But what is a
- 24:52rainbow in a physical sense? Rainbow is
- 24:55this. We know this this morning. It's
- 24:58light passing through. It's the spectrum
- 25:00of light passing through water.
- 25:02>> And when you see a rainbow, it's always
- 25:04in a cloud where water's present. And I
- 25:07was thinking about this. You know, the
- 25:09spectrum, I don't remember. It's been
- 25:11been a few years since I looked at this.
- 25:12Amen. But I think what is it? There's
- 25:14seven colors, eight colors of that
- 25:15spectrum. I can't remember. Somebody
- 25:17smarter than me. You can tell me after
- 25:18service. Amen. But those colors that are
- 25:21seen, it's the different it's that in
- 25:23that refraction of light.
- 25:25>> Amen. that passes through that water and
- 25:29it shows that color. And you say, "What
- 25:31is that, preacher?" Well, I wrote this
- 25:34down in my Bible.
- 25:36The rainbow is this. It's the light of
- 25:39God's eyes shining through the water of
- 25:42his word, showing us the colors of his
- 25:46infinite grace.
- 25:48It is the light of his eyes shining
- 25:51through the water of his word showing us
- 25:55the colors of his infinite grace. You
- 25:58see the rain rainbow reminds me that God
- 26:01is always looking.
- 26:02>> Because anytime you see a rainbow, this
- 26:04is what it should tell you. It should
- 26:06remind you that that rainbow is not just
- 26:08for you, but it was for him.
- 26:10>> Amen.
- 26:11>> And when God sees that rainbow, he
- 26:13remembers the covenant that he made with
- 26:14Noah. And he said, "I'll never again
- 26:16flood the earth." Amen.
- 26:18>> I will never again doom the human race
- 26:22because of their sinfulness.
- 26:24And boy, you ought to be glad of that
- 26:26this morning.
- 26:26>> Amen.
- 26:27>> You realize you could have been born in
- 26:29that age,
- 26:30>> right?
- 26:30>> We could have been born at any time in
- 26:32history. I could have been born into a
- 26:34family that didn't know God.
- 26:36>> But God put me where I was for such a
- 26:40time as this and saved me. Saw fit to
- 26:43give me life.
- 26:44>> Amen. And when I see a rainbow, it
- 26:46reminds me that God's looking. You say,
- 26:48"Preacher, how is that scripture?" Well,
- 26:50let me just remind you of what the Bible
- 26:52says about Noah. You see, God was
- 26:55watching Noah. Notice what the Bible
- 26:58says in Genesis 7, Genesis 7 and verse
- 27:00number one. And the Lord said unto Noah,
- 27:02"Come thou and all thy house into the
- 27:04ark." I haven't been able to get away
- 27:06from this verse all through my study
- 27:08because of this one statement. Look what
- 27:10he says. For thee have I seen
- 27:13righteous before me.
- 27:15HE SAW the righteousness of Noah. THE
- 27:19BIBLE LITERALLY says in Genesis 6, WHAT
- 27:22DOES IT SAY IN VERSE NUMBER EIGHT? But
- 27:23Noah found grace where? In the eyes of
- 27:27the Lord. Oh friend, do you UNDERSTAND
- 27:30THAT THE EYES OF GOD ARE SHINING DOWN
- 27:33UPON US TODAY? And he SEES THE
- 27:36RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT'S IN US, NOT OF OUR
- 27:38OWN WORKS, BUT OF HIS WILL INSIDE OF US.
- 27:41THE IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS
- 27:44CHRIST ON THE INSIDE. AND THAT RAINBOW,
- 27:47GOD LOOKS AT US THROUGH THAT RAINBOW OF
- 27:49HIS LOVE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE SEES? HE
- 27:51SEES US ALL THAT'S FORGIVEN. THAT SINS
- 27:54ARE FORGOTTEN. HE'S NOT THE SAME. WE'VE
- 27:57BEEN MADE DIFFERENT BECAUSE HE DON'T
- 27:59LOOK AT US.
- 28:02HE don't look at us outside of the
- 28:04rainbow.
- 28:04>> Amen.
- 28:05>> That rainbow is how God sees us.
- 28:09>> Amen.
- 28:10>> And let me say this. It's not seven
- 28:12colors. It's red.
- 28:13>> That's right. Amen.
- 28:15>> It's the blood.
- 28:16>> That's right. Amen.
- 28:19>> He saw Noah. Noah found grace in the
- 28:23eyes of the Lord. Thee have I seen
- 28:26righteous before me. God looked at that
- 28:29generation in verse 5 of Genesis 6. And
- 28:32God saw that the wickedness of man was
- 28:34great in the earth. He saw it. Sinner,
- 28:38listen to me this morning. God's
- 28:40watching.
- 28:41>> Amen.
- 28:41>> God is looking.
- 28:42>> Amen.
- 28:43>> He knows what you're doing.
- 28:46>> You may think you've got your parents
- 28:48fooled. You may think you got your
- 28:49friends fooled. You may think you got
- 28:51your husband or your wife or your mom or
- 28:53your daddy fooled. But let me tell you
- 28:54this morning, God's watching. Amen.
- 28:57>> He's looking. Well, let me say this to
- 28:59those of us who are saved. He's looking.
- 29:02>> Amen.
- 29:03>> You say, "What does that do for me?"
- 29:04Well, that ought to encourage you to
- 29:05live for him. But it also ought to help
- 29:07you to know that every time you're done
- 29:09wrong, every time you know that you that
- 29:11that somebody has has has misjudged you
- 29:14or misplaced you or disrespected you,
- 29:17YOU JUST KNOW THAT GOD'S WATCHING. AMEN.
- 29:19AND JUST BECAUSE YOU LIVE RIGHT AND DO
- 29:21RIGHT and talk right. AMEN. JUST BECAUSE
- 29:24THE WORLD DOES NOT RESPECT YOU, DO NOT
- 29:26FORGET THAT GOD IS LOOKING. AMEN.
- 29:30>> He's watching. The rainbow reminds me
- 29:33that God is looking.
- 29:37He says in verse number 16, notice the
- 29:40verse of Genesis 9. And the bow shall be
- 29:43in the cloud. What's that next phrase?
- 29:45And I will look upon it. God says, I'm
- 29:49going to look at it. And you know what
- 29:51it'll do? to remind me. Not that God
- 29:54could forget,
- 29:55>> but it's an emblem. It's a promise that
- 29:58he's looking.
- 30:00>> And I'll say this this morning. It's not
- 30:02only an emblem that God is looking, but
- 30:04second of all, I would say it's an
- 30:05emblem that God is longsuffering.
- 30:09You say, "How is that, preacher?" Well,
- 30:11you see, he gave those that generation,
- 30:14Genesis chapter 6, the Bible says that,
- 30:17you know, he said, uh, let's just turn
- 30:19there. He said, "My spirit shall not
- 30:20always strive with man." Genesis 6 and:e
- 30:23three. My spirit shall not always strive
- 30:25with man for that that he also is flesh.
- 30:28Yet his days shall be in 120 years. God
- 30:31even gave that wicked generation a space
- 30:33to repent.
- 30:34>> Amen.
- 30:34>> He gave them an opportunity to get right
- 30:36with him. But the whole time Noah was
- 30:39building that ark, there was no
- 30:40forgiveness that was received. They did
- 30:43not trust the Lord. But you know what?
- 30:45The same mercy that was offered before
- 30:47the ark was offered after.
- 30:49>> Amen.
- 30:50>> And God says it will be a rem or
- 30:52remembrance. Look, look at that. Verse
- 30:5415. I will remember my covenant which is
- 30:56between me and you and every living
- 30:58creature of all flesh. And the waters
- 30:59shall no more become a flood. Notice
- 31:02that to destroy all flesh. You see, this
- 31:06is salvation.
- 31:08This covenant represented the fact that
- 31:09God would no more flood the earth again.
- 31:12Do you understand that? probably the the
- 31:16quickest way that the earth could be
- 31:18destroyed is by water.
- 31:19>> Amen.
- 31:20>> Do you realize that? And God says it'll
- 31:22never happen again.
- 31:24That is the longsuffering of God.
- 31:27>> Amen.
- 31:27>> You say, "How is that expressed,
- 31:28preacher?" Well, it's been some, you
- 31:30know, five at least 5,000 years since
- 31:32this event happened. And what's never
- 31:34occurred? There's never been a worldwide
- 31:36flood. There's never been a time where
- 31:39God judged the whole earth again. And
- 31:40I'll say this, there's coming a day when
- 31:42he's going to judge the world. But it
- 31:43ain't going to be with a flood.
- 31:45>> It's going to be by fire. Amen. But I'll
- 31:47say this. When God made his words, you
- 31:49know what? You can bet on it. This world
- 31:51will never be submerged with a flood
- 31:53again. You say, "What does that prove,
- 31:55preacher?" Well, the Bible says in the
- 31:57book of Peter, Peter said this. He said,
- 31:58"The Lord is not slack concerning his
- 32:00promise,
- 32:01>> as some men count slackness, but is
- 32:03long-suffering to usward, not willing
- 32:05that any should perish, but that all
- 32:07should come to repentance." And so this
- 32:09rainbow, when we see that, what does it
- 32:11represents? It represents that God is
- 32:13long-suffering, not with just you and
- 32:15me, but with every person.
- 32:19>> When you see a rainbow, you ought to
- 32:20remember that God's looking, but you
- 32:22also ought to remember that rainbow
- 32:24tells you, "Hey, God's patient.
- 32:27>> God's longsuffering."
- 32:28>> Amen.
- 32:29>> Because he don't want you to die and go
- 32:30to hell.
- 32:30>> Amen.
- 32:31>> He don't want you to die in judgment.
- 32:33>> That's right.
- 32:33>> And let me say this to you this morning.
- 32:35If you're here and you're lost, the
- 32:36wrath of God abides on you presently
- 32:38right now. You're now under the judgment
- 32:41of God. God is longsuffering. But I'll
- 32:44say this and I I'll be done this
- 32:45morning. This rainbow, when I say
- 32:47remember the rainbow, y'all to remember
- 32:48that God's looking. Y'all remember that
- 32:50God is long-suffering. But y'all to
- 32:52remember that God loves you.
- 32:55>> Amen.
- 32:55>> You say, "How is that, preacher?" Well,
- 32:58notice what the Bible says again. Verse
- 33:0015. and I will remember my covenant
- 33:02which is between me and you and every
- 33:04living creature of all flesh, and the
- 33:06waters shall no more become a flood to
- 33:08destroy all flesh. Verse 17. And God
- 33:10said unto Noah, "This is the token of
- 33:12the covenant which I have established
- 33:13between me and all flesh that is upon
- 33:17the earth." Now, let's just think about
- 33:18this for a minute. Okay? I've already
- 33:21submitted to you that the rainbow God
- 33:23said, I'll I I'll put it in in my cloud
- 33:27and I'll see it and remember I remember
- 33:29my covenant. But you know, God could
- 33:31have made a rainbow that only he could
- 33:33see.
- 33:35And there is a rainbow that only he
- 33:37could see. I'm going to get there in
- 33:38just a minute. But you know what? That
- 33:40rainbow,
- 33:42probably one of the greatest phenomenon
- 33:44in all the world is a rainbow. And when
- 33:48we look at a rainbow, we see those
- 33:49colors. There's a lot of different
- 33:51things. You know, our world has
- 33:53corrupted that made it a image of pride
- 33:57when it is an image of promise. The
- 34:00least prideful thing that possibly could
- 34:02be in creation is a rainbow. And they
- 34:04take it and turn into the most worst
- 34:05perverted
- 34:07>> prideful thing that there is.
- 34:09>> I want to say this to you. It's not
- 34:11changed the purpose of the rainbow.
- 34:13>> God sees it. But you know who else sees
- 34:14it?
- 34:16We do.
- 34:17>> You say, "Preacher, how is that an
- 34:18evidence that God loves me?" Well,
- 34:21here's the evidence. God made a
- 34:22covenant. He don't need any help
- 34:24remembering it.
- 34:24>> That's right.
- 34:25>> Amen.
- 34:26>> Amen. He does not need any help
- 34:29remembering the fact that he made a
- 34:31promise that he's not going to flood the
- 34:32earth again.
- 34:33>> Amen.
- 34:33>> But you know what? You know who's
- 34:35forgetful?
- 34:37>> Amen.
- 34:37>> We are.
- 34:38>> And you know why every cloud has a
- 34:41rainbow?
- 34:42You say, "Preacher, I every cloud I've
- 34:44ever seen doesn't have a rainbow." At
- 34:46some point in every cloud, there's a
- 34:48rainbow where the light passes through.
- 34:51Y'all are not with me this morning.
- 34:53>> And every cloud where there's rain,
- 34:55there's a rainbow that passes through.
- 34:56And what does this what does this
- 34:57express? It's expressed to us that in
- 34:59spite of the fact God doesn't need it to
- 35:01remember, he put it up there so we could
- 35:04remember with him.
- 35:10He didn't just make it a rainbow that
- 35:12only he could see. And I'll say I'll say
- 35:14this. There's, you know, I'm going to go
- 35:16there in just a minute. Amen. But but
- 35:18when we think about think about him in
- 35:20heaven and he sees all things. The
- 35:21rainbow was for him. Amen. But in like
- 35:24manner, we're for him. We're created in
- 35:26his image. By him, for him, for his
- 35:29glory. Paul said it this way. Romans 11.
- 35:31For of him, through him, and to him are
- 35:33all things. That's what he said. last
- 35:34verse of Romans 11. So, we're we're his,
- 35:37too. The rainbow's his. But you know
- 35:39what? He lets us see it.
- 35:42>> And you know what? That ought to remind
- 35:43you
- 35:44>> that he loves you.
- 35:45>> Amen.
- 35:46>> Now, you remember that image that I gave
- 35:49you a minute ago talking about? He said,
- 35:50"I set my bow in the cloud and I said
- 35:54that cloud."
- 35:56Amen.
- 36:00>> See that rainbow?
- 36:04You know the only way you'll ever know
- 36:06that God loves you.
- 36:08>> Amen.
- 36:11>> This is the most beautiful thing you'll
- 36:12ever see in this life.
- 36:14>> The rainbow was a promise to Noah, but
- 36:16you understand to the church, this is
- 36:18our promise.
- 36:19>> Amen.
- 36:20>> This is the truth that we stand upon.
- 36:22And I think about this, you know, we we
- 36:24often make this statement. You ever
- 36:26heard, you know, we sing the song, the
- 36:27half hasn't been told. We believe that.
- 36:29We don't know the half of what's waiting
- 36:32for us.
- 36:33You ever thought about a rainbow? The
- 36:35biggest you can see is only about what?
- 36:38Half
- 36:40that rainbow when you go outside and if
- 36:42you go into an open field and the most
- 36:44beautiful rainbow I ever saw was at my
- 36:46mom and dad's house and they live there
- 36:48in Alageney County and Inis. Amen. If
- 36:50you know where Inennis is, you probably
- 36:52um well, I ain't going to say that.
- 36:53Amen. But anyway, Inis is a very small
- 36:56place. It's kind of like Robinsville.
- 36:57Amen. You know, God just don't he don't
- 36:59know where those people are at. Amen.
- 37:01But anyway, but on there there's a big
- 37:03old meadow strip goes for probably I
- 37:06don't know, there's probably 75 or 80
- 37:09acres there and it's off down the
- 37:10holler. But the prettiest rainbow I ever
- 37:12seen was over the hill one day it had
- 37:14rained at mom and daddy's and it almost
- 37:16it looked like it was so large that it
- 37:19it was it almost looked like more than
- 37:21half. You ever seen one like that? It
- 37:23looks like the bottoms of it almost
- 37:24start coming back around. But you know
- 37:26what? It don't matter where you go,
- 37:27you'll never see one that makes a
- 37:29complete circle.
- 37:31But you know in the scripture there is
- 37:32one
- 37:34that makes a complete circle. And you
- 37:36say well what is that? Well I'm remind
- 37:38you of this truth that the image that we
- 37:40have we don't know the whole story.
- 37:42>> We don't understand all that Christ did
- 37:44for us. We don't know all that this
- 37:46promise entailed. You see God told Noah
- 37:48what it meant that he would never flood
- 37:50the earth again. But Noah didn't
- 37:51understand all that. He didn't
- 37:53understand the depths of God's promise.
- 37:55But I'll say this. There's coming a day.
- 37:57>> Amen. When we do understand
- 38:01Revelation chapter 4,
- 38:05a man named John,
- 38:08many of us we would know him as the
- 38:10apostle,
- 38:12John the beloved, the one the disciple
- 38:14whom Jesus loved in Revelation 4 and
- 38:17verse one, he said this. After this, I
- 38:20looked, and behold, a door was open in
- 38:21heaven. And the first voice which I
- 38:23heard was as it were of a trumpet
- 38:25talking with me, which said, "Come up
- 38:26hither, and I will show thee things
- 38:28which must be hereafter." This is an
- 38:30image of the rapture of the church is
- 38:32what this is. John is taken from this
- 38:34world to the next world. Verse two, and
- 38:37immediately I was in the spirit. Isn't
- 38:39that interesting that shows up first?
- 38:41Look what the Bible says. And behold, a
- 38:43throne was set in heaven, and one sat on
- 38:45the throne. That's God Almighty, just in
- 38:47case you didn't know that. Amen. Verse
- 38:49number three. And he that sat was to
- 38:51look to was to look upon like a jasper
- 38:53and a sard and stone. And there was a
- 38:56rainbow round about the throne in sight
- 38:59like unto an emerald.
- 39:02When you look at that phrase roundabout,
- 39:04you know what that literally means? It
- 39:06means a complete circle.
- 39:07>> Amen.
- 39:11>> I'll tell you this. The world took that
- 39:13image of God and said there's a pot of
- 39:15gold at the end of it. I submit to you,
- 39:18you'll never find a little short man or
- 39:21a pot of gold.
- 39:22>> But I'll tell you this, one day you'll
- 39:24find the other side of it.
- 39:26>> And you know what you'll be able to do?
- 39:27You'll be able to look right in the
- 39:28middle of it. And you know who you'll
- 39:30find? You'll find God.
- 39:32>> You say, "What is What does that mean,
- 39:34preacher?" Well, at the center of his
- 39:36promise is his person.
- 39:40You know what you find?
- 39:42I'm telling you,
- 39:43>> this is good stuff. Amen. What you find
- 39:46when you see the whole rainbow? You know
- 39:48what you'll find? You find God.
- 39:50>> Amen.
- 39:52>> In his most pure place.
- 39:54>> Yeah.
- 39:54>> Without sin, exalted, and on his throne.
- 39:58>> And I'll say this, God made that
- 40:00covenant that day.
- 40:03He made that covenant with Noah that
- 40:04day. But he knew there was coming a day
- 40:07when Noah and his family and the church
- 40:10of the living God would stand there and
- 40:13stand before him. And you know what
- 40:15would happen? They would behold not just
- 40:17half, but the whole.
- 40:20>> You know what? We don't know it all now,
- 40:22but I'll tell you, one of these days,
- 40:23the promise is going to be made clear to
- 40:25see that this book
- 40:28was all that we ever needed.
- 40:30>> Amen.
- 40:31>> And I want to submit to you this morning
- 40:33as we stand, every heads bowed and every
- 40:36eyes closed for just a minute. I want
- 40:39you to remember the rainbow because it's
- 40:41an image of God's love.
- 40:44It's a token
- 40:46of the fact that
- 40:48God will never bring judgment
- 40:52again on the earth by a flood. And you
- 40:54say, "Preacher, what does that mean by
- 40:56that? If seeing the whole rainbow, what
- 40:58what does that mean?" Well, here's what
- 41:01it means. It means that you see God when
- 41:04he showed half the rainbow, it showed
- 41:06that judgment would never come by a
- 41:08flood. But you know what? But when John
- 41:10stepped foot in heaven and one of these
- 41:12days when we step foot in heaven for the
- 41:14last time, you know what's going to
- 41:15happen? Judgment's going to be over
- 41:17with.
- 41:20>> Do you hear what I just said?
- 41:21>> Amen. Amen.
- 41:22>> And you know what? That other half of
- 41:24the rainbow will show that judgment is
- 41:26forever gone.
- 41:29>> Sin will be judged. Sinners will be
- 41:32judged. And the saints will be in the
- 41:35presence of God forever and eternity.
- 41:39and there'll never more be another
- 41:40judgment. Thank you, Jesus.
- 41:42>> I want to ask you this this morning as
- 41:44she begins to play.
- 41:47You see, you may go out those doors this
- 41:49morning and I don't know, there may be a
- 41:51rainbow just out those doors waiting on
- 41:52you. But I'll say this, you may live the
- 41:56rest of your life and never see another
- 41:57one with a physical eye. But I can tell
- 42:00you this, you've got one this morning in
- 42:03your hands,
- 42:05more beautiful than anything the human
- 42:07eye has ever seen. invested is that
- 42:09promise that God Almighty has made to
- 42:12man. Remember, the rainbow
- 42:15is the light of God's eyes shining
- 42:18through the water of his word, showing
- 42:20us the colors of his grace. Let me say
- 42:25this to you today, sinner. He loves you.
- 42:28He loves you.
- 42:31He's long-suffering with you. The reason
- 42:33that you're still here this morning, the
- 42:35reason that you're in Meta's Baptist
- 42:36Church this morning
- 42:39is because he's longsuffering.
- 42:43But let me remind you, sinner, God is
- 42:45looking
- 42:47and he knows your heart this morning.
- 42:49And I've got to ask you one more time.
- 42:53I got to ask you one more time. As your
- 42:55preacher, if you died right now, where
- 42:58would you be?
- 43:01You see, judgment's coming.
- 43:05We know that judgment's coming.
- 43:08And all those who don't know Jesus
- 43:11will face the judgment.
- 43:15But let me say this. Those who've
- 43:16trusted him, they'll never know the
- 43:19judgment of God.
- 43:21They'll never know what it's like to
- 43:23suffer. They'll never know what it's
- 43:25like to feel the flames of hell.
- 43:31Let me ask you today, sinner. If you
- 43:33died right now, where would you be? You
- 43:34say, "Preacher, I don't know where I'd
- 43:36be. I don't know if I died right now
- 43:38that I'd go to heaven." Anybody be
- 43:41honest this morning? You say, "Preacher,
- 43:42would you pray for me? I don't know. I'm
- 43:43saved."
- 43:47Slip your hand up and I'll pray for you
- 43:48this morning.
- 43:51Nobody's looking around but me. Just
- 43:53slip your hand up. Be honest between you
- 43:54and God this morning.
- 43:57Let me say this.
- 43:59You may fool all of us, but just
- 44:01remember God will always see.
- 44:04He will always see.
- 44:07Let me say this to you, child of God.
- 44:09It's a comfort to know every time we see
- 44:10a rainbow that we have a God who's
- 44:13looking at us.
- 44:15We have a God who loves us and is
- 44:17long-suffering with us. You ought to
- 44:19rejoice in that today. Y'all rejoice. I
- 44:22tell you, there's nothing better in this
- 44:24life knowing that for every mistake we
- 44:26make and we fail daily. Can I get a
- 44:28witness this morning? We fail daily.
- 44:31>> Amen.
- 44:32>> For every mistake that we make, God's
- 44:34still long-suffering.
- 44:36>> Amen.
- 44:36>> Because he will not forget his promise
- 44:40and he's never forsaken us. He'll never
- 44:42leave us. You can trust him today.
- 44:44Father, thank you for this truth today.
- 44:48God, I'm thankful that
- 44:50Lord, the rainbow,
- 44:53God's an image of your perfection,
- 44:56but Lord, more than an image of your
- 44:58perfection, God, as it's perfectly
- 45:00proportionate, and Lord, perfectly
- 45:03pictured in its colors, but God, it's an
- 45:05image of your promise,
- 45:08Lord. How perfect our salvation is, God.
- 45:10How perfect our redemption and our
- 45:12deliverance is, God. That you made a way
- 45:14for us. And Lord, you had it all planned
- 45:16out. God, you knew how we would choose.
- 45:19You knew how we would live. But Lord,
- 45:22instead, in spite of all of that, you
- 45:24chose to love us. You chose to look to
- 45:27us. And Lord, you said if we look to
- 45:29you, you said, "Look unto me all the
- 45:31ends of the earth. Be ye saved. For I am
- 45:34God and there's none else." And Lord,
- 45:36may we look to you today. May sinners
- 45:38look to you today and be saved. Lord,
- 45:39may the church of God look to you once
- 45:41again and rejoice. Lord, we thank you
- 45:43for what you've done in our midst. Thank
- 45:45you for this precious promise today. We
- 45:48ask it all in Jesus name. God's children
- 45:51said,
- 45:52>> "Amen." Thank
- 45:53>> Thank you for joining our service today.
- 45:55We'd love it if you'd join us in person
- 45:57the next time you are able at Meadows
- 46:00Baptist Church. Our physical address is
- 46:032988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
- 46:07Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
- 46:10school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
- 46:12worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
- 46:14worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
- 46:17evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
- 46:20information, visit us at
- 46:21meadowsbaptisturch.com.
- 46:24Thanks again for tuning in.