Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / You Can Be Faithful - 9/6/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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You Can Be Faithful - 9/6/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  >> I appreciate that good singing tonight.
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  and uh
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  just thinking today she sung Sister
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  Amber has such a beautiful voice. These
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  other young ladies sung this morning.
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  Man, I'm telling you, these churches
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  don't have any singers at all. And we
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  got a church full of them.
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  >> You ought to thank God for that. Amen.
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  And I was thinking earlier today as
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  well. I've been praying for the
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  preacher, Brother Robert, and was
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  thinking about how the Lord has blessed
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  our church, Brother Todd being here and
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  Brother Robert being here and their
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  wisdom. they've imparted into me and I
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  appreciate that very much and uh I need
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  that. Amen. I want to tell you this. I'm
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  not just going to get it from anywhere.
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  >> Amen. And uh there's some people that's
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  tried to put some things in me that
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  well, just for lack of a better way to
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  put it, it wasn't worth it coming out of
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  their lips and so it really wasn't worth
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  putting in. Amen. And but I'm thankful
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  for men that when they say something,
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  they're serious and they mean what they
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  say. Amen. And those men have shaped and
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  molded my life. And I appreciate it. God
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  has blessed our church. He has blessed
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  our church. And do not listen to me,
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  church. Do not take it for granted. Do
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  not take it for granted. And I
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  appreciate each one of you. And you all
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  have a part. Amen. You leave your seats
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  empty. Amen. And I'm thankful for you
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  being here. And I mean that from the
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  depths of my heart. 1 Samuel tonight, if
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  you have a Bible, invite you to turn
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  with me there. 1 Samuel chapter number
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  8.
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  and uh message that I worked on some
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  time ago. Never preached it and uh just
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  felt the Lord lead me back there this
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  afternoon. He gave me some more
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  thoughts, really finished it out for me
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  and sort of halfbaked, but we're going
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  to try to give you what the Lord's put
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  on our heart uh this evening. 1st Samuel
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  chapter number eight. We actually begin
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  reading chapter 7. when you find your
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  place, if you would stand on reference
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  to the reading of God's word if you're
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  able and if you're able and we'll read
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  just several verses of scripture here
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  and then we'll try to share a thought
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  with you this evening. 1st Samuel
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  chapter 7 verse number 15. And the Bible
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  says, "And Samuel judged Israel all the
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  days of his life. And he went from year
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  to year in circuit to Bethl and Gilgal
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  and Mispa and judged Israel in all those
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  places. And his return was to Rama, for
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  there was his house. And there he judged
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  Israel. And there he built an altar unto
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  the Lord. And it came to pass when
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  Samuel was old that he made his sons
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  judges over Israel." Now the name of his
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  firstborn was Joel. The name of his
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  second Abaya. They were judges in
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  Beerseba. And his sons walked not in his
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  ways, but turned aside after Lucer and
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  took bribes and perverted judgment. Now
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  th those of you that know your Bible,
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  that sounds familiar, don't it? Sounds
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  familiar. Matter of fact, just a few
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  chapters prior, we read of Eli's sons.
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  What were their names? Hoffni and
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  Phineas. And you know what? They had
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  done the very same thing. I'm going to
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  tell you this. It matters who you let
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  your children get around.
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  >> Notice this in the text. Verse four.
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  Then all the elders of Israel gathered
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  themselves together and came to Samuel
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  unto Rama and said unto him, Behold,
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  thou are old, and thy sons walk not in
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  thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us
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  like all the nations. But the thing
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  displeased Samuel when they said, Give
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  us a king to judge us. Notice this. And
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  Samuel prayed unto the Lord. Now,
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  Father, I ask God, tonight, Lord, as
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  we've come for this service, for this
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  hour, Lord, I ask you, God, tonight that
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  you would help us to have an open ear
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  and attentive heart to the word of God
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  tonight. Lord, I realize, God, that
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  Lord, there's weight, Lord, to this
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  service just like every other service.
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  And God, I cannot stand here alone
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  tonight. I can't afford to. And God, I
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  ask you, Lord, tonight, you'd remove the
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  flesh from me, clothe me in my calling,
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  give me uncction and liberty to preach
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  and demonstration of the spirit tonight.
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  And God, I ask you, God, for every need
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  that's present. Lord, I thank you, God,
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  for how you bless our church. Lord, I I
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  say again, thank you for all the ladies
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  that sing so beautifully in this church
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  and for our choir, how you blessed our
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  choir and the wisdom that's sitting on
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  these pews. God, I count myself
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  unworthy, Lord, to be numbered with
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  these precious people. But God, I'm
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  thankful to be here. And Lord, I ask
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  you, God, to help us tonight. Please
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  touch us, Father, I pray. Give us wisdom
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  to receive with meekness the engrafted
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  word. Get glory to yourself. save the
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  sinner nearest hell for what you do.
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  Well, thank you because we ask it in
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  Jesus name. Amen. And amen. You can be
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  seated. Thank you for standing this
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  evening. I notice in this text it is
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  mentioned. We read verses 15-1 17 of
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  chapter 7 and it's prefaced with this
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  statement. The message is our text is
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  tonight with verse 15 where you Bible
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  says and Samuel judged Israel all the
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  days of his life. And that verse every
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  time I read this passage jumps off the
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  page at me. Now I'll be honest with you.
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  We I was thinking today about the theme
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  that we have for this year and we our
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  verse there. Moreover, it's required in
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  stewards that a man be found faithful.
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  And this is the thought the Lord put on
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  my heart this afternoon. If you'll just
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  give me a few moments of your time, I'll
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  let you go home. All right? Please
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  listen to me tonight. All right? And
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  this is the burden that God put on my
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  heart. This is the thought that came to
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  my mind out of this text based on verse
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  15. Samuel judged Israel all the days of
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  his life. The thought of the message
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  tonight is this. You can be faithful.
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  >> You can. All right? And beyond what you
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  think, all right? It is possible.
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  The Lord wouldn't ask it of you if it
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  wasn't possible.
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  >> You said, "Preacher, how is that?" Well,
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  I'm saying the Bible tells Philippians
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  4:13, the most misqued, misrepresented,
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  amen verse in all the word of God. I can
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  do all things through Christ which
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  strengthenth me. You know what that is?
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  That is your life fulfilling the will of
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  God. Because you can't do it yourself.
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  >> Amen. But with his help,
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  >> you can be faithful. Amen. And when I
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  look at this text tonight, I find some
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  things here in the verses that I want to
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  share with you tonight. We see Samuel is
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  described and I'm going to move quickly.
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  So stay with me tonight. Samuel is
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  described number one in verse number 15
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  as a pastor. You notice it there, verse
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  15, Samuel judged Israel all the days of
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  his life. And his pastorship is
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  described, his pastoral ministry is
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  described as faithful all the days of
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  his life. From the time that Hannah left
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  him down at the temple with Eli, he was
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  raised to be a judge. He was raised to
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  be a shepherd over the house of Israel.
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  And from THE TIME THAT HE WAS THERE
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  UNTIL THE TIME THAT HE BREATHED HIS LAST
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  BREATH, THE Bible says under the
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  inspiration of the Holy Ghost that he
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  judged Israel all the days of his life.
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  He was a faithful pastor. But I say this
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  in verse 16. Not only was he a faithful
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  pastor, but he was a fervent preacher.
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  The Bible said in verse 16, "And he went
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  from year to year in circuit to Bethl
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  and Gilgal and Mispa and judged Israel
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  and all those places." Samuel didn't
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  stay in one place and make the people
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  come to him, but he went to the people.
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  And what did he go to the people with?
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  He went to the people with a message of
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  the glory of God and that they needed to
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  repent and be right with God. You say,
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  "How is that?" Well, turn back with me a
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  chapter in chapter number seven. Listen
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  to what Samuel says to the children of
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  Israel in verse three. And Samuel spake
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  unto all the house of Israel, saying,
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  "If you do return unto the Lord with all
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  your hearts, then put away the strange
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  gods and asteroth from among you, and
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  prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and
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  serve him only, and he will deliver you
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  out of the hand of the Philistines."
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  Samuel spent his life telling these
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  children that they need to stay right
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  with God. I want to say this to you this
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  morning. And I know that you get tired
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  of the preacher preaching on sin, but
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  you know what's the one thing you're
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  going to deal with from now until you
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  take your last breath?
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  >> That's sin.
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  >> You going to deal with it. And so I'm
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  going to have to preach on. Amen. And so
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  here, he is fervent in his preaching.
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  He's faithful in his pastoring. But I
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  think this is what Mark Samuel as much
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  to me as anything in verse 17 of our
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  text chapter 7. And his return was to
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  Rama. Notice this. For there was his
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  what? House. And there he judged Israel,
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  and there he built an altar unto the
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  Lord. Now, to make a long story short,
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  he is faithful in his pastoral ministry,
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  is fervent in his preaching ministry.
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  But I want TO SAY THIS, HIS family was
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  involved in his praying ministry. You
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  say, "How is that?" Well, notice it
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  again in verse 17. and his return was to
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  reign of for there was his house. That
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  was his family. THAT WAS HIS CHILDREN.
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  THAT WAS HIS DWELLING PLACE. AND THE
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  BIBLE SAYS AT HIS DWELLING PLACE, LOOK
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  WHAT it says there. He built an altar
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  unto the Lord. And so at home, Samuel
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  prayed. He prayed not just for the
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  nation, but he prayed for his family.
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  AND NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, Samuel tried
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  his best to raise them in the nurture
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  and admonition of the Lord. We come to
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  our text in chapter 8 and the Bible
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  describes first of all his age is
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  mentioned in verse one. It came to pass
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  when Samuel was old, not only his age,
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  but you notice his appointment. He made
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  his sons judges over Israel. Now, we
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  could say tonight, well, Samuel's trying
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  to keep it all in the family. Well, you
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  just understand that's the way God
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  designed this thing. Say, what do you
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  mean, preacher? Well, the Levites were
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  responsible for the house of God. Amen.
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  And so when Samuel appointed his
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  children, they were the ones that would
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  carry on the ministry down at the
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  temple, they were the ones that he had
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  appointed here in this text. And I don't
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  think Samuel was not right with God when
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  he appointed his children to this
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  office. I don't think Eli was not right
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  with God when he appointed his children.
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  I just think that Eli had gotten out of
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  touch with reality and refused to
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  correct his children. I don't think
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  that's the case with Samuel. Notice in
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  the text. All right. We see his age. We
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  see his appointment. We see the atrocity
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  of his children. Verse two. Now the name
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  of his first were born was Joel and the
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  name of his second abide. They were
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  judges in Beeba. And his sons, notice
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  this, walked not. What's the next three
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  words? In his ways. You see, I don't
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  think Samuel had a problem with truth. I
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  don't think Samuel had a problem with
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  teaching. I think as is if there was
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  anybody in your Bible that we could
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  label as a righteous man, a holy man, a
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  man that walked with God, I believe it
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  was Samuel. I don't think Samuel left
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  his children behind. I don't think the
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  ministry caused Samuel to put them on
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  the back burner. But here's what I
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  think. I think Samuel's children decided
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  what they were going to do when they got
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  older because they recognized how the
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  people treated Samuel.
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  >> Say, "How is that?" Well, I've seen that
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  firsthand in my own life.
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  You know why a lot of preachers kids
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  though they'll have a calling on their
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  life but they refuse to go to the
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  ministry is because they see how the
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  people of God
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  >> treat their mom and daddy.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Amen friend.
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  >> And the atrocity is THAT HIS SONS WALKED
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  NOT IN HIS WAYS. There was not a problem
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  with truth. Samuel's ways were the way
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  of truth. There was not A PROBLEM WITH
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  TEACHING. THEY KNEW the way of Samuel.
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  Amen. They knew exactly how they were
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  supposed to live. SAMUEL HAD LIVED HIS
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  LIFE BEFORE HIM. SAMUEL had preached his
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  life before them. And instead of walking
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  in his ways, they decided they were
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  going to do their own thing. And in
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  verse three, look what your Bible says.
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  His sons walked not in his ways, but
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  turned aside after Lucer and took bribes
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  and perverted judgment.
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  So they're guilty of bribery. They're
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  guilty of desiring money, over
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  fulfilling the office of the priest.
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  They perverted judgment. They were
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  biased. Boy, we seeing that a lot in
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  this day and time.
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  >> I tell you, I ain't got I ain't got no
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  confidence in the judicial system of
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  this country.
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  >> Man, I I pity anybody that has to go and
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  stand before that crowd being not
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  guilty. I tell you this day and time,
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  it's the not guilty that get locked up
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  and those guilty that getting set free.
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  >> We You better be on notice, friend. I'm
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  telling you, it's coming.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> People like us just trying to work and
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  live our life and go to the house of
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  God, we going to be under attack before
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  long. We already are.
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  >> Not preaching that tonight, but you need
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  to know that. All right. We notice that
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  out of the atrocity of the sinfulness of
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  his children. We see the argument of the
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  people of Israel. The Bible says, "And
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  all the elders of Israel gathered
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  themselves together and came to Samuel
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  unto Rama." So they COME TO SAMUEL'S
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  HOUSE. THEY COME TO HIS DWELLING place
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  where he would be with all his family.
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  Notice verse five. And said unto him,
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  "Behold, thou art old. Thy sons walk not
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  in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge
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  us like all the nations. I'm gonna give
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  you four things here in this text
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  directly and then I'll give you the
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  message tonight. All right, I'm going
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  somewhere. Just hang with me. They come
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  to Samuel and they have this argument.
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  They have this plan that they've thought
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  up and they have taken the occasion of
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  somebody else's sin and used it against
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  the man of God. Notice what happens in
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  this text. Number one, they questioned
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  the capability of Samuel. Verse five,
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  and he and they said unto him, what's
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  those next four words? Behold, thou art
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  old. Now, this is a Charlie Branch
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  original quote here. All right? And I'm
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  going to quote myself tonight. All
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  right? Somebody else probably said it,
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  but I'm going to quote myself. Okay? Let
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  me say this. Age does not constitute
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  ability, but nor does it constitute
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  inability.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Did you hear what I said? Age does not
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  constitute ability, but it also does not
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  constitute inability. I've seen a lot of
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  people make excuses. Well, preacher, I
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  I'm too far gone to do that. That's your
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  problem. You was too far gone to that
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  when you was young. Now you got older
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  and you believe in the same old lie.
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  Here's what you've done. You spent your
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  whole life believing, "Well, that ain't
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  for me."
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  Let me say something to you. The
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  greatest biblical example I find of age
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  have nothing to do with ability is
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  Caleb. The book of Judges, we read about
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  him. Judges chapter 1, Joshua chapter
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  14. Caleb when God spoke to him and
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  Joshua, Joshua and Caleb were the only
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  two that believed the messengers when
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  they came back or they they rejected the
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  messengers and said, "Hey, look, we're
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  going over there. Amen. We can take it.
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  We'd be more than able."
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  >> Amen.
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  >> And because of that, they live to see
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  the land of Canaan. That's right.
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  >> Joshua goes off the scene and Caleb,
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  this is what happens to him. Joshua 14,
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  you'll read there in the text that
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  Joshua Caleb said this said, "I want
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  that mountain." He's talking about the
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  Mount of Hebbr. 85 years old, Caleb gets
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  up and goes and takes the mountain for
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  himself.
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  85 years old. I'm saying he didn't allow
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  his age to hinder his ability because
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  why? HE HAD A DREAM THAT GOD had put in
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  his heart and he didn't care if it took
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  him 20 years, 30 years, took him 45
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  years wandering in the wilderness. He
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  said, "I know what God's promised and
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  I'm going there to get it."
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  >> Amen, friend.
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  >> Let me say this. Samuel had not been
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  hindered. Samuel had just as much of the
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  touch of God on his life as he'd ever
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  had. Matter of fact, in this text, he's
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  the only one that's GOING TO DO THE
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  RIGHT THING.
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  SO, we can say this, the capability
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  argument was not relevant. Let me say
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  this. Age has nothing to do with the
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  call of God.
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  I
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  >> had some people argue with me about
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  young preachers and when they're ready
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  to preach. I'll tell you when they're
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  ready to preach is when they get called.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> They need to start preaching then and
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  then they need to preach until they get
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  it figured out.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Because it's a call and it's not a
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  lesson.
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  >> Amen. Amen, friend. That's right.
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  >> It's a calling. So, it's not to do with
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  capability. That argument is irrelevant.
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  But I want to say this. Not only do they
• 17:08
  bring up the capability argument,
• 17:10
  they're going to stack up the
• 17:11
  accusations against Samuel to make it
• 17:14
  look like there's no way he can get
• 17:15
  around it. Well, look what happens here
• 17:17
  in the text. Not only the capability
• 17:19
  argument, but then there is the
• 17:21
  corruption argument in the text. and
• 17:23
  said unto him, "Behold, thou art old,
• 17:25
  listen to this, and thy sons walk not in
• 17:29
  thy ways." Now, they've already accused
• 17:32
  Samuel being too old to do what he's
• 17:34
  always done. You're too far gone. You're
• 17:37
  has been, you're by gone. But Samuel,
• 17:39
  not only that, but your children are not
• 17:41
  walking in your footsteps. They're not
• 17:44
  doing what you did, Samuel. They're not
• 17:46
  We're really concerned about the state
• 17:48
  of our country. Oh, boy.
• 17:52
  All them people come to you, preacher,
• 17:53
  we're really concerned about the state
• 17:56
  of our church because of the way your
• 17:58
  children are acting.
• 18:00
  You ain't never heard that before.
• 18:03
  I'm going to tell you something, friend.
• 18:05
  When children are grown and gone and
• 18:08
  they're making their own decisions, that
• 18:10
  don't fall back on mom and daddy if they
• 18:12
  raised them right.
• 18:13
  >> You listen to me. I'm going to do my
• 18:15
  best to raise them two babies in the
• 18:17
  nurture and admonition of the Lord, but
• 18:18
  when they get old enough and they get
• 18:19
  out of my house, they got to make their
• 18:21
  own decisions. And you know what? What
• 18:23
  they do will be on them.
• 18:25
  >> And furthermore, if they make a decision
• 18:27
  while they're in my house that endangers
• 18:30
  me and my wife,
• 18:34
  >> they have to I have to do that. YOU SAY,
• 18:37
  "WHY IS THAT, PREACHER?" Because my
• 18:39
  responsibility number one is to her.
• 18:41
  >> Amen.
• 18:42
  >> Amen, friend. AND GOD GAVE ME HER FIRST.
• 18:45
  AND IF THEY'RE BREAKING HER HEART, HEY,
• 18:47
  and they're walking IN THEIR OWN WAYS,
• 18:49
  THEY CAN ALWAYS COME BACK IF THEY WANT
• 18:51
  TO get right. WELL, LET ME SAY SOMETHING
• 18:53
  TO YOU. IF THEY AIN'T GOT NO WILL AND
• 18:55
  end to repent, they ain't got no place
• 18:56
  to live in my house.
• 18:59
  >> AND UNTIL THEY DECIDE TO GET RIGHT, THEY
• 19:02
  GOING to have to figure out how to make
• 19:03
  it on their own.
• 19:05
  >> Here's what's happened. And we had a
• 19:06
  generation of parents that decided,
• 19:08
  well, my kids are going to do what they
• 19:10
  want to do, and so I'm just going to try
• 19:11
  to protect them from a distance. What
• 19:14
  you're doing is aiding in a bedding is
• 19:15
  what you're doing.
• 19:18
  >> Amen, preacher. That's right.
• 19:21
  >> I'm going to tell you something tonight.
• 19:22
  The reason why the jails and prison
• 19:24
  houses are setting full is because mom
• 19:26
  and daddy patted them on the head when
• 19:28
  they were 25 years old and said, "Oh,
• 19:30
  you'll be all right. You'll figure it
• 19:31
  out."
• 19:33
  >> Ain't never worked a day in our life.
• 19:35
  God help a sorry outfit. That that kills
• 19:37
  me, friend. I ain't got no use for some
• 19:39
  a young man that won't work.
• 19:41
  >> Amen.
• 19:42
  >> Sit in his mom and daddy's basement and
• 19:44
  play video games till he's 30. God help
• 19:46
  his sorry soul. He needs to get right
• 19:48
  with God or get saved or something.
• 19:49
  Amen. And if I was his daddy, I'd run
• 19:51
  him out with a switch or a belt or
• 19:53
  something. Amen. If he wants to be a
• 19:55
  child, we'll treat him like one. Amen.
• 19:57
  >> You say, "Preacher, that's awful big
• 19:59
  talk." Well, I'm telling you this. I
• 20:00
  watched my grandpa do it with my daddy
• 20:02
  and I watched my daddy do it with me.
• 20:04
  And friend, I don't intend to change it.
• 20:06
  That's right.
• 20:06
  >> Now, if my children do, that's up to
• 20:08
  them. I want to tell you this. We got a
• 20:10
  responsibility.
• 20:12
  >> And let me remind you, the corruption of
• 20:14
  your children, let me say this to you,
• 20:15
  Mom and Daddy. If you raise them right,
• 20:17
  and they go their own way, that ain't on
• 20:18
  you. You say, "How is that?" Well, they
• 20:21
  got their own will.
• 20:23
  >> And if they want to try the world,
• 20:25
  though, you've told them time and time
• 20:26
  again not to go there. If they want to
• 20:28
  try the world, here's what they going to
• 20:30
  find out. It's It was a lot better back
• 20:32
  at mom and Daddy's. It was a lot better
• 20:34
  back at home. And you know what? They
• 20:36
  need a place to come back to with a mama
• 20:38
  that loves them and a daddy that'll CARE
• 20:39
  FOR THEM. AMEN. HEY, FRIEND, IF THEY
• 20:42
  DECIDE to come back and get right, you
• 20:43
  receive them with OPEN ARMS. BUT UNTIL
• 20:46
  THEY DO, FRIEND, YOU DON'T LET THEM STEP
• 20:48
  FOOT IN YOUR HOUSE UNTIL THEY decided to
• 20:50
  get straightened out.
• 20:51
  >> Amen.
• 20:53
  >> Cuz corruption is not a question in this
• 20:56
  matter. You see, they've taken an
• 20:58
  occasion here in the text. Let me say
• 20:59
  this. All right, this goes over into the
• 21:01
  church, okay? We're seeing a lot of this
• 21:03
  right now. All right, you listening to
• 21:05
  me? I'm preaching tonight. Y'all right?
• 21:08
  >> We've seen a lot of this here lately.
• 21:10
  Okay. A lot of the upper class preachers
• 21:13
  in our movement, the independent Baptist
• 21:15
  movement, are dropping out like flies
• 21:16
  right now. I mean, one right after the
• 21:19
  other, it seems like. And this is what
• 21:21
  people are doing. Well, they're saying,
• 21:23
  "Man, since they're not right, we don't
• 21:25
  want a pastor.
• 21:28
  >> We don't want nobody to have authority
• 21:30
  over us." Let me say this. Corruption of
• 21:33
  past or present authority does not
• 21:35
  denote the command for there to be
• 21:36
  authority in place.
• 21:42
  >> Just because, and I'll say his name
• 21:44
  tonight, just because Kenny Baldwin fell
• 21:46
  out does not mean that Crossroads
• 21:48
  Baptist Church does not need a pastor
• 21:49
  from here on out.
• 21:53
  >> Just because I blow out in this church
• 21:55
  does not mean y'all can go on without a
• 21:57
  pastor. WELL, THE PASTOR HURT ME. WELL,
• 21:59
  THAT DON'T MEAN YOU DON'T NEED ONE.
• 22:01
  >> AMEN.
• 22:02
  >> THAT DON'T CHANGE THE POSITION. ISRAEL
• 22:04
  SAYS, "WELL, SAMUEL, YOUR CHILDREN AIN'T
• 22:06
  DOING RIGHT, SO WE DON'T WANT JUDGES no
• 22:09
  more. WE WANT A KING." Notice their
• 22:12
  reason. Oh, friend. This is where the
• 22:15
  rubber meets the road. Listen to this
• 22:16
  now. They argue about capability. They
• 22:19
  argue about the corruption of his
• 22:20
  children. I want to say this. Their
• 22:21
  argument comes down to conformity.
• 22:24
  Notice the text. Verse number five. and
• 22:27
  thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make
• 22:29
  us a king to judge us. What's what's it
• 22:31
  say? Like all the nations.
• 22:35
  Like all the nations. Hey friend, the
• 22:37
  church world, this apostate church world
• 22:40
  has bought into this hook, line, and
• 22:41
  sinker.
• 22:43
  They're seeing what's working out there
• 22:44
  in the world. They get them a
• 22:46
  motivational speaker with a little
• 22:48
  platform. Amen. And they'll put them out
• 22:50
  in front and they'll put them in a
• 22:51
  t-shirt and shorts. Amen. and they'll
• 22:53
  let them give you a motivational speech
• 22:55
  and tell you you're all right and you
• 22:57
  don't need salvation and you don't need
• 22:58
  forgiveness and you're really okay. You
• 23:01
  just need a little bit of reformation
• 23:03
  and and start your life over and you'll
• 23:05
  be okay
• 23:07
  because they don't want a king
• 23:09
  or they don't want a judge. They want a
• 23:12
  king. We want what the world has.
• 23:16
  >> You listening to me? Hey friend, God's
• 23:19
  people ain't never supposed to have what
• 23:20
  the world's got. Right?
• 23:22
  >> Matter of fact, he saved you so he could
• 23:25
  bring you out.
• 23:28
  >> Love not the world, John said, neither
• 23:30
  the things that are in the world. If any
• 23:32
  man love the world, WHAT DID HE SAY? The
• 23:33
  love of the father is not in him.
• 23:37
  >> We're not adopting their methods. WE'RE
• 23:39
  NOT ADOPTING THEIR MUSIC. WE'RE NOT
• 23:41
  ADOPTING THEIR IDEOLOGIES. I DON'T WANT
• 23:43
  THEIR MEN.
• 23:44
  >> AMEN.
• 23:46
  >> I don't care how manly he is. If he
• 23:48
  walks out there in the world and acts
• 23:50
  like a fool. Amen. AND THAT'S THE
• 23:52
  DESCRIPTION OF A man in this part of the
• 23:54
  world. A good old boy. That ain't a man.
• 23:59
  >> Can't give up his alcohol and quaint
• 24:01
  can't quit living loose.
• 24:04
  Wants to talk slang to every woman that
• 24:06
  passes him by. That ain't a man.
• 24:12
  >> And what we've got today is we got a
• 24:14
  people that's went the other direction.
• 24:15
  Instead of being what a real man is,
• 24:17
  they just want men to not even be
• 24:19
  masculine at all. Right.
• 24:23
  >> Well, it's the world's ideology.
• 24:26
  >> WE WANT A KING LIKE THE WORLD'S GOT.
• 24:30
  >> Corruption of current or past authority
• 24:32
  does not remove the need for that
• 24:34
  authority. But let me say this. This
• 24:36
  conformity idea, Israel was never closer
• 24:39
  to God than they were in the days of the
• 24:41
  judges.
• 24:45
  From the time that Moses brought them
• 24:47
  out of Egypt, Joshua led them into
• 24:48
  Canaan's land. God did more for them in
• 24:51
  the days of the judges.
• 24:53
  And you say, "Preacher, but God was
• 24:55
  going to make Jesus king. There wasn't
• 24:57
  supposed to be a king until Jesus came."
• 24:59
  >> Amen.
• 25:00
  >> You know what happened when they put a
• 25:02
  king up? You know what they started
• 25:03
  doing? Fighting all the time. You know
• 25:06
  how they won wars with judges? Well,
• 25:08
  let's just turn back a chapter.
• 25:13
  The Philistines were coming up against
• 25:14
  Israel, chapter 7. And the children of
• 25:18
  Israel in verse number eight said to
• 25:19
  Samuel, "Cease not to cry unto the Lord
• 25:21
  our God for us, that he will save us out
• 25:23
  of the hand of the Philistines." And
• 25:25
  Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered
• 25:27
  it for a burnt offering holy unto the
• 25:29
  Lord. And Samuel cried unto the Lord for
• 25:32
  Israel. And the Lord heard him. And as
• 25:34
  Samuel was offering up the burnt
• 25:35
  offering, the Philistines drew near to
• 25:37
  battle against Israel. But the Lord
• 25:39
  thundered with a great thunder on that
• 25:41
  day upon the Philistines and discomed
• 25:43
  them, and they were smitten before
• 25:45
  Israel. with Samuel. They didn't even
• 25:48
  have to lift a finger.
• 25:50
  >> They just went to Samuel and said,
• 25:52
  "Samuel, please beg God on our behalf.
• 25:56
  Pray for us. We need deliverance." They
• 25:59
  didn't have to re lift a finger. But you
• 26:01
  know what they going to do with Saul?
• 26:03
  They going to fight and fight
• 26:06
  >> and fight and fight. You know what
• 26:08
  they're going to do with David? They're
• 26:09
  going to fight and fight and fight. And
• 26:12
  David is going to finally bring rest.
• 26:14
  He's going to deal with the Philistines
• 26:15
  after a while. But Solomon still there's
• 26:18
  going to be war after Solomon. One king.
• 26:21
  Then after Solomon goes out, war after
• 26:23
  war after war, captivity after captivity
• 26:26
  after captivity. God never wanted him to
• 26:28
  have a king.
• 26:32
  I hope you're with me tonight.
• 26:36
  >> It was not a question of conformity. And
• 26:38
  this leads into the conflict. I've
• 26:40
  already given you this sort of. Notice
• 26:42
  verse 20 20 of chapter number 8. They
• 26:46
  asked Samuel that we may also be like
• 26:48
  all the nations and that our king may
• 26:50
  judge us and go out before us and fight
• 26:53
  our battles. They wanted a king to fight
• 26:56
  their battles. But what they didn't
• 26:57
  realize is that God was fighting their
• 26:59
  battles to this point.
• 27:01
  >> You see, they wanted something that
• 27:02
  looked pretty. And here's what I'm
• 27:04
  seeing this day and time. And people are
• 27:07
  attracted to branding. Y'all remember
• 27:09
  that message I preached here at the
• 27:10
  church some time ago about Babel and I
• 27:12
  preached on the thought um rebellion.
• 27:15
  Why rebellion brings confusion? Y'all
• 27:17
  remember that?
• 27:19
  You see that? This world is desiring a
• 27:21
  brand. They want they want somebody
• 27:24
  that's got their name in lights. They
• 27:26
  want somebody that's got something to
• 27:27
  offer them. They want somebody that's
• 27:30
  got a proven track record of fixing
• 27:33
  their problems.
• 27:34
  >> Well, I'll tell you who it is. It's the
• 27:36
  Lord.
• 27:39
  But the problem is he don't have a
• 27:42
  brand.
• 27:44
  >> And the thing is, if you going to get
• 27:46
  help from him, you got to do it his way.
• 27:47
  >> That's right. Amen,
• 27:49
  >> friend. They there's places you can go,
• 27:51
  friend. I I mean, you can find anywhere
• 27:53
  to tell you, well, you'll be okay if
• 27:54
  you'll just do this, this, and this. And
• 27:56
  if you don't really want to do that, if
• 27:57
  you'll just do part of it, you'll get
• 27:59
  half help. It's a seeker sensitive
• 28:02
  culture. That's what we've got is a
• 28:05
  seeker sensitive culture. And that's not
• 28:07
  just the world. That is the church.
• 28:11
  Do what you want to do. It'll turn out
• 28:14
  the best it can.
• 28:16
  And I want to say this, you can conform
• 28:20
  and you want a king to deal with your
• 28:22
  conflicts, but you'll wish that you'd
• 28:26
  have just stayed with the judge.
• 28:29
  You say, "What is that?" Well, it's it's
• 28:31
  the pastor. It's God's ordained method.
• 28:33
  I want to say this three things. I'm
• 28:34
  done. Built a big old foundation. Put a
• 28:38
  little teepee on.
• 28:40
  You can be faithful. So, what do you
• 28:42
  mean, preacher? You can be faithful.
• 28:44
  Well, notice what Samuel does in the
• 28:46
  text. Verse number six. The thing
• 28:49
  displeased Samuel when they said, "Give
• 28:51
  us a king to judge us." But notice what
• 28:54
  Samuel does. Samuel don't go home and
• 28:56
  pout. Because you know what Samuel's a
• 28:58
  real pastor.
• 29:01
  >> He don't go home and pout. But you know
• 29:03
  what he does? He goes home and prays.
• 29:05
  >> Look at it. And Samuel prayed unto the
• 29:08
  Lord. The entirety of this chapter is
• 29:10
  Samuel's conversation with God. And then
• 29:12
  Samuel speaking to the children of
• 29:13
  Israel what God has said. I want to say
• 29:15
  this three things tonight and I'll be
• 29:17
  done. You can be faithful. Number one,
• 29:19
  in spite of the corruption of the people
• 29:21
  around you.
• 29:24
  >> Why? You say, "What do you mean?" Well,
• 29:26
  Samuel was the only one in this text
• 29:27
  right with God. His children's out of
• 29:30
  out of touch with reality. They're
• 29:32
  taking bribes. They're they're they're
• 29:34
  they are seeking uh in the text, what's
• 29:36
  the word there uh that it used? They are
• 29:38
  seeking after Lucer. They are seeking to
• 29:41
  fill their own pockets. They're
• 29:42
  perverting judgment. And then not only
• 29:44
  that, the children of Israel, they're
• 29:46
  looking for any occasion they can get to
• 29:48
  dethrone Samuel. Let me say this. Any
• 29:50
  hierarchy in the church to dethrone the
• 29:52
  pastor, that ain't a God.
• 29:56
  >> You know who takes up and sets down
• 29:58
  pastors?
• 29:59
  That's right.
• 30:01
  >> That ain't your job.
• 30:02
  >> Amen.
• 30:04
  >> Sheep don't pick the shepherd.
• 30:08
  >> But yet somehow that's why way we work
• 30:10
  things. And I understand all that, but
• 30:13
  but that just ain't biblical.
• 30:16
  I'm just being real. You can talk to
• 30:18
  that man right there. Him and I both
• 30:19
  knew from both of our ends that when I
• 30:21
  showed up here is because God put me
• 30:23
  here.
• 30:25
  >> And I look, I'm not pumping myself up.
• 30:28
  I'm not pumping him up. But when him and
• 30:30
  I talked on the phone, he clicked with
• 30:32
  me and I clicked with him. And it was a
• 30:33
  moment in time. I didn't know him from
• 30:35
  Adam.
• 30:38
  >> God knew where he wanted me.
• 30:40
  God puts the shepherd with the sheep
• 30:43
  that he wants to shepherd with.
• 30:46
  >> I say this, you can be faithful in spite
• 30:48
  of the corruption of those around you.
• 30:52
  Samuel didn't allow his children to
• 30:53
  affect him. You know, I've seen a lot of
• 30:55
  preachers doing this damn time. got one
• 30:58
  right now that I love as much as any man
• 31:00
  I've ever loved in my life. And a matter
• 31:01
  of fact, at a time in my life when we
• 31:04
  were struggling, when we didn't know
• 31:05
  what was going on, my my family, we come
• 31:07
  out of the Southern Baptist and we was
• 31:09
  getting away from the contemporary and
• 31:11
  all of that stuff. This man used to
• 31:12
  blister our hide service after service.
• 31:16
  And my other parts of my family, they
• 31:18
  would come and tell us about how he
• 31:19
  blistered our hide about the
• 31:20
  contemporary music and all of that.
• 31:23
  And just the other day, I got seeing a
• 31:25
  sermon that he preached and what he did
• 31:27
  that entire sermon was tiptoe around
• 31:29
  this matter of contemporary music where
• 31:31
  he used to blister our hide over it. And
• 31:34
  it absolutely broke my heart. I love
• 31:37
  this man probably as much probably as
• 31:39
  much as any preacher I've ever known in
• 31:41
  my life. Still love him. Still love him
• 31:43
  the same way. But it just made me sick
• 31:45
  to listen to him tiptoe around the
• 31:47
  truth. This is basically in essence what
• 31:50
  he said. He's talking about a particular
• 31:52
  song and a particular emotional reaction
• 31:55
  that this song has everywhere that it
• 31:57
  gets sung. He said, "Well," he said, "I
• 32:00
  can't deny the fact that it has an
• 32:01
  emotional draw to it." He said, "But
• 32:03
  we're just not going to do that here."
• 32:05
  I'm like, "So, basically, what you're
• 32:06
  saying is it's okay, but we're just not
• 32:09
  going to do that here."
• 32:11
  Talk about an uncertain sound.
• 32:14
  >> Talk about something that's confusing.
• 32:16
  Let me say this. We don't need any more
• 32:18
  confusion.
• 32:18
  >> Amen.
• 32:20
  We don't need any more blurred lines.
• 32:22
  >> We don't need any more straddling the
• 32:24
  fence. That's one thing I'm trying to
• 32:26
  adopt myself. I don't want you to be
• 32:28
  confused about where I stand on
• 32:31
  anything.
• 32:32
  >> Amen.
• 32:32
  >> I want you to know and that's and if
• 32:34
  that takes leaning to the right on some
• 32:36
  things, I'm always going to heir on the
• 32:39
  side of caution.
• 32:40
  >> Amen. Amen.
• 32:45
  >> Because you can stay faithful in spite
• 32:48
  of the corruption of those around you.
• 32:50
  I'll say this. Second of all, you can be
• 32:51
  faithful in spite of the compromise of
• 32:53
  the church. Said, "What do you mean?"
• 32:55
  Well, the whole nation come to Samuel
• 32:57
  and said, "Look, we're done with your
• 32:58
  way of doing things. We want a king."
• 33:02
  And you know what? It's getting that way
• 33:05
  real hot and heavy.
• 33:07
  The churches that I've known in my short
• 33:10
  ministry, I'm watching them turn over
• 33:12
  just like just like the tide just
• 33:16
  rolling over, just laying down, just
• 33:18
  giving everything up. Everything they
• 33:19
  preach and believe so long, they just
• 33:21
  turn over. Thank God for the ones that
• 33:22
  ain't. Amen. But I want to say this, you
• 33:25
  can stay faithful to the Lord in spite
• 33:27
  of what they're doing. You say,
• 33:30
  "Preacher, but the king thing, it
• 33:32
  worked."
• 33:34
  Well, let me ask you something. Does
• 33:35
  just because something works, does that
• 33:37
  make it right?
• 33:39
  There's a lot of churches that claim to
• 33:41
  be what we are and they do things
• 33:42
  differently than we do and they say,
• 33:44
  "Well, we're having the same results."
• 33:45
  Well, here's what you're going to notice
• 33:47
  in this church and in this text. Three,
• 33:49
  this is the the third thing. I'm give
• 33:50
  you this. I'm done. All right. You see,
• 33:52
  you can be faithful in spite of
• 33:54
  corruption. You can be faithful in spite
• 33:55
  of compromise. But you can also be
• 33:57
  faithful in spite of consent that brings
• 33:59
  change. Say, "What do you mean?" Well,
• 34:02
  listen to what God says in this text.
• 34:04
  Israel had already made up their mind
• 34:06
  what they were going to do. And you know
• 34:07
  what scares me to death about me
• 34:10
  pastoring in this church is that if we
• 34:13
  all decide to do something in our heart
• 34:16
  and we get bent in our mind that we're
• 34:17
  going that way, you know what? God just
• 34:19
  might let us.
• 34:22
  >> Notice the text verse number nine, 1st
• 34:25
  Samuel 8, God says to Samuel or not
• 34:28
  notice this verse number seven. All
• 34:30
  right. 1st Samuel 8:7. And the Lord said
• 34:33
  unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of
• 34:35
  the people and all that they say unto
• 34:37
  thee, for they have not rejected thee.
• 34:39
  Notice this, but they have rejected me
• 34:42
  that I should not reign over them. You
• 34:44
  see, they had a king. God was their
• 34:46
  king. It was a theocracy. And God was
• 34:50
  the one ruling over them. And he was
• 34:52
  SPEAKING THROUGH HIS DELEGATE Samuel to
• 34:54
  give them the commands that they were to
• 34:56
  operate by. God says, "Samuel, they've
• 34:59
  not rejected you." Though Samuel's heart
• 35:01
  was broken, they rejected me. Notice
• 35:03
  verse eight. According to all the works
• 35:05
  which they have done since the day that
• 35:07
  I brought them up out of Egypt, even
• 35:08
  unto this day, wherewith they have
• 35:10
  forsaken me, and served other gods, so
• 35:12
  do they also unto thee. Verse number
• 35:14
  nine, listen to this. Now listen to
• 35:16
  this.
• 35:17
  Now therefore, hearken unto their voice.
• 35:21
  Do you hear what God's saying?
• 35:23
  >> This ain't what God wants. But God says,
• 35:25
  Samuel, you do what they want.
• 35:27
  >> But listen to what he said in verse n.
• 35:29
  How be it yet protest solemnly unto them
• 35:32
  and show them the manner of the king
• 35:34
  that shall reign over them. Samuel said,
• 35:36
  God says, Samuel, look, you let them
• 35:38
  have what they want, but you tell them
• 35:40
  this ain't what I want for them.
• 35:45
  If we could put it on a billboard, I'll
• 35:47
  tell you, pastors are not listening to
• 35:49
  that. All over this country, THEY'RE
• 35:51
  SAYING, "PREACHER, WELL, IT WORKS." LET
• 35:52
  ME ASK YOU SOMETHING. DOES THAT MEAN
• 35:54
  THAT GOD APPROVES OF IT?
• 35:58
  WHY DO WE WANT TO LOCK ARMS WITH PEOPLE
• 36:00
  WHO DON'T CARE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT BIBLE
• 36:02
  AND SAY, "WELL, it's working."
• 36:07
  >> I'M SAYING THE PRINCIPLE OF THE MATTER
• 36:08
  IS THIS IS JUST BECAUSE GOD ALLOWS IT TO
• 36:12
  GO ON DOES NOT MEAN THAT GOD APPROVES of
• 36:15
  it.
• 36:18
  >> And you know what? Here's what they say.
• 36:20
  Here's what they say. Well, I don't have
• 36:21
  any conviction about that.
• 36:26
  preacher, God's not convicted me over
• 36:28
  that or other pastors, they'll tell me
• 36:30
  like this, "Well, uh, when we started, I
• 36:33
  was a little uneasy about it." But I
• 36:35
  realized that was just me.
• 36:38
  You know what they did? They drunk the
• 36:39
  Kool-Aid just like everybody around the
• 36:41
  house.
• 36:42
  >> And you know what's happened? Pastors
• 36:44
  have become more influenced by their
• 36:45
  congregation than the congregation is
• 36:47
  influencing the pas or the pastor is
• 36:50
  influencing the congregation.
• 36:51
  >> Amen.
• 36:52
  >> Let me say that right. All right. It the
• 36:55
  pastor has become more influenced by the
• 36:57
  congregation than the congregation is
• 37:00
  being influenced by the pastor because
• 37:02
  here's what he knows. The paycheck in
• 37:05
  his pocket, he'll lose it if he don't if
• 37:07
  he if he keeps preaching
• 37:09
  what the whole congregation's going
• 37:11
  against.
• 37:14
  >> Let me say something to you. You're not
• 37:16
  paying my checks.
• 37:19
  >> Amen.
• 37:20
  >> And if he sees fit to stop paying them,
• 37:22
  you know what I'm going to do? I'm going
• 37:23
  to go get me a job and I'm going to keep
• 37:25
  preaching.
• 37:26
  >> Amen.
• 37:28
  >> Cuz he called me. And what mama CALLED
• 37:30
  AND PAPA SENT, GOD CALLED ME
• 37:33
  >> AND GOD COMMISSIONED ME. AND THERE AIN'T
• 37:35
  NOBODY THAT CAN STOP me unless I allow
• 37:38
  him to.
• 37:40
  >> Come on, preacher.
• 37:41
  >> But you know what? Here's the thing.
• 37:42
  Scares me to death. This scares me
• 37:44
  absolutely to death. Is that I would do
• 37:47
  something that God's against. that God
• 37:50
  says, "Well, the whole church wants to
• 37:52
  go that way, and you're just trying to
• 37:54
  go with them." Y'all go ahead.
• 37:58
  And you know what? I'm convinced there's
• 38:00
  a lot of churches in this country today
• 38:01
  that is not operating in the fullness of
• 38:04
  what God has for them is because they've
• 38:06
  chose to walk away from the fullness of
• 38:08
  what God has revealed to them.
• 38:09
  >> That's right.
• 38:10
  >> We know what's right.
• 38:12
  >> People don't like when you call it the
• 38:13
  old time way. I don't even like calling
• 38:15
  it that because it's just the right way.
• 38:17
  >> Amen.
• 38:19
  separation,
• 38:21
  >> holiness,
• 38:22
  >> holy living,
• 38:24
  >> clean living,
• 38:26
  >> all of that stuff that the world says is
• 38:29
  crazy.
• 38:31
  >> God ain't changed his mind about it.
• 38:34
  >> God ain't lowered the dress standard.
• 38:37
  >> God ain't lowered the music standard.
• 38:38
  Let me say this. God has not lowered the
• 38:40
  salvation standard. It is still
• 38:42
  repentance. WITHOUT REPENTANCE, there is
• 38:45
  no remission.
• 38:47
  YOU CAN'T TELL A SINNER, just believe.
• 38:50
  >> Just believe. No, friend. They got to
• 38:53
  know they're lost.
• 38:54
  >> Amen.
• 38:55
  >> And if they KNOW THEY'RE LOST, THEY CAN
• 38:57
  THEN know him. And that lost sinner can
• 38:59
  meet the LORD AND HE CAN SAVE THEM. AND
• 39:02
  THEN AND ONLY THEN REPENTANCE AND FAITH
• 39:05
  COME TOGETHER AND THEN SALVATION IS
• 39:07
  WORKED IN.
• 39:09
  >> But you know what? They're trying to
• 39:10
  change that.
• 39:13
  You just pray a prayer,
• 39:16
  write your name on a card,
• 39:19
  you can join the church, we'll baptize
• 39:22
  you. Let me say this, baptism ain't
• 39:23
  never constituted salvation.
• 39:25
  >> That's right.
• 39:27
  >> If you ain't never been saved, you ain't
• 39:29
  got no business being baptized.
• 39:31
  >> That's right.
• 39:32
  >> Let me say this. If you got saved since
• 39:34
  you've been baptized, you need to be
• 39:36
  baptized again
• 39:38
  >> because your baptism was no good. That's
• 39:40
  >> right.
• 39:43
  You can be faithful in spite of
• 39:44
  corruption. You can be faithful in spite
• 39:46
  of compromise. And you can be faithful
• 39:48
  in spite of the consent. Let me say
• 39:50
  this. Samuel, let's go back to the
• 39:53
  verse. Let's see it from the text. Verse
• 39:55
  15. And Samuel did what? Judged Israel
• 40:01
  all the days of his life. You know what?
• 40:03
  Samuel lives several chapters after
• 40:05
  this, doesn't he? He lives for quite a
• 40:08
  period after this. But you know what?
• 40:10
  Even in spite Israel, the fact that
• 40:12
  Israel didn't want his position, he
• 40:14
  didn't quit being a judge. I don't know
• 40:16
  about you, but that just makes me want
• 40:18
  to blow up with joy. You know what? This
• 40:22
  world can tell me, "Preacher, that
• 40:25
  pastor title, that's really outdated.
• 40:28
  We got the internet preacher. We got all
• 40:31
  the scripture. We got all the preaching
• 40:33
  we need. We really don't even need that
• 40:34
  church preacher. We can do it at home."
• 40:39
  You think that's not a big thing? You
• 40:40
  just go look up social media for a
• 40:42
  little while. You'll find out it's a
• 40:43
  real big thing.
• 40:45
  >> Cuz you know what? People are tired of
• 40:47
  people in high positions like this
• 40:49
  getting caught doing things that people
• 40:51
  that are in prison and serving life
• 40:53
  sentences for are doing in the church
• 40:56
  house.
• 40:57
  >> They're tired of it. You know what? I
• 40:58
  don't blame them. But what did we
• 41:00
  already say? That does not denote just
• 41:03
  because somebody sins does not denote
• 41:05
  the fact that there is a need for
• 41:06
  authority.
• 41:07
  >> Amen.
• 41:09
  >> Just because a pastor hurts you doesn't
• 41:11
  mean that you don't need a pastor.
• 41:13
  >> Amen.
• 41:13
  >> Let me say this, child. Just because
• 41:14
  your mama or your daddy hurts you does
• 41:16
  not mean that you don't need them.
• 41:20
  >> You still need them. They're still your
• 41:22
  parents.
• 41:24
  >> I want to leave you with this tonight.
• 41:27
  You see, Samuel had won Israel victory
• 41:30
  without even fighting. king would not do
• 41:32
  better. Samuel had prayed for them when
• 41:34
  they didn't deserve prayer. A king
• 41:36
  wouldn't do that. Samuel had been there
• 41:38
  for them in their dark hours. And Samuel
• 41:40
  had traveled around and treated himself.
• 41:42
  He acted just as a servant to the
• 41:44
  people. Samuel did not elevate himself.
• 41:47
  But you know what a king would do?
• 41:50
  >> That's right.
• 41:51
  >> He would elevate himself. You know what
• 41:53
  got Saul took down? It's because he
• 41:55
  decided it was right to spare a gag when
• 41:57
  God says, "You kill them all."
• 41:59
  >> And you know what? That's what happens
• 42:01
  when you elevate a man. That's what
• 42:03
  these modern preachers have become. They
• 42:05
  become kings. Sit on their little
• 42:07
  throne. They're untouchable. Let me say
• 42:09
  this. They're just like you and me. But
• 42:11
  they don't think that.
• 42:12
  >> That's right.
• 42:13
  >> That's why they do these things because
• 42:15
  they think nobody's going to catch them.
• 42:17
  Nobody's going to find out about them.
• 42:21
  Let me say this. What God said, God says
• 42:24
  that those things that are hidden,
• 42:26
  they'll be soon uncovered.
• 42:28
  You're not too high and mighty to have
• 42:30
  your sin laid before the world.
• 42:34
  >> I know it's a hard message tonight, but
• 42:36
  boy is the truth.
• 42:38
  >> You can be faithful, but you going to
• 42:40
  have to be faithful in spite of these
• 42:42
  things.
• 42:44
  >> Cuz you know what? People around you are
• 42:45
  going to be corrupt.
• 42:48
  I tell you, when all that went down
• 42:50
  early this summer, man, I'm telling you,
• 42:52
  he was the last person I thought that
• 42:53
  would be involved with all that.
• 42:57
  last person. I I didn't like the
• 42:59
  direction he was going in, but they
• 43:00
  didn't change how he used to preach.
• 43:03
  I listen to that man preach all over
• 43:05
  this country on the internet, preach
• 43:07
  things, preach them just as straight as
• 43:08
  I do, rip people's heart off, and then
• 43:12
  be involved in something like that. You
• 43:15
  know what that does? That puts a fear of
• 43:16
  God in me.
• 43:19
  Here's the thing about it. You say, "Why
• 43:20
  does that put the fear of God in you,
• 43:21
  preacher? Are you worried about doing
• 43:23
  something like that?" No. This is what
• 43:24
  that lets me know. It lets me know that
• 43:26
  there's other people hiding. And you
• 43:28
  know what I have the responsibility to
• 43:30
  bring men of God in this church to
• 43:31
  preach to you. That's right.
• 43:34
  >> And nobody expected that. And you know
• 43:37
  what I have to do? I have to pray and
• 43:38
  stay right with God enough to know when
• 43:41
  to get somebody and when not to get
• 43:42
  somebody.
• 43:43
  >> Amen.
• 43:45
  >> Because you know what? I don't want to
• 43:46
  bring somebody in front of these
• 43:47
  children that years down the road's
• 43:49
  going to fall out. Well, they got saved
• 43:51
  under his preaching.
• 43:53
  >> You know what they do? They spend a
• 43:55
  lifetime doubting.
• 43:58
  >> Let me say this to you, child of God.
• 44:00
  Your salvation is not based upon who
• 44:02
  gave the gospel to you.
• 44:03
  >> That's right.
• 44:05
  >> The devil himself could give you the
• 44:07
  gospel. And you know what? It's still
• 44:08
  the gospel.
• 44:09
  >> That's right.
• 44:09
  >> He'll not do that.
• 44:12
  >> A lot of these men will preach just
• 44:14
  because it fills the pocketbook. And
• 44:15
  really, for a lack of a better way to
• 44:17
  put it, for them, it's an easy way to do
• 44:19
  it. They're talented. They can sing.
• 44:22
  They got charisma. They can preach. They
• 44:24
  can draw a crowd. They can do all that.
• 44:26
  And they do it because it it does write
• 44:27
  a good paycheck
• 44:29
  on those levels. Well, let me say this
• 44:32
  to you. That don't constitute the touch
• 44:34
  of God.
• 44:35
  >> That's right.
• 44:36
  >> And here's what you got to do. You got
• 44:39
  to make sure your confidence is in him.
• 44:41
  You know why Samuel made it when the
• 44:43
  whole world was falling around around
• 44:44
  him? is because in spite of the
• 44:47
  corruption, in spite of the compromise,
• 44:49
  and in spite of the change that God
• 44:51
  said, Samuel, let them do what they
• 44:52
  want. You know who his eyes were on?
• 44:57
  And you know what? He was looking at
• 44:59
  somebody that though the whole world was
• 45:01
  changing. He would never move.
• 45:05
  I don't know what your future holds, but
• 45:06
  I'll tell you this. I know who holds
• 45:07
  your future.
• 45:09
  >> Right?
• 45:10
  >> You say, "Preacher, things are changing
• 45:12
  around me, and it seems like God's
• 45:13
  allowing it." Well, you just remember
• 45:14
  he's not changing,
• 45:16
  >> right?
• 45:17
  >> That book ain't moved an inch,
• 45:19
  >> right?
• 45:20
  >> It ain't. Them standards are still in
• 45:22
  there. Salvation's still in there.
• 45:24
  Spirit of God to indwelling inside a
• 45:26
  believer still in there. And it's still
• 45:28
  going to require every bit of that to be
• 45:30
  right with God. People can say they can
• 45:32
  do without it, but at the end of the
• 45:34
  day, you know better.
• 45:37
  You can be faithful. Every head bowed,
• 45:40
  every eye closed.
• 45:43
  Every head bowed and every eye closed
• 45:44
  tonight. These altars are open.
• 45:47
  Let me ask you something tonight.
• 45:50
  You can be faithful, but let's be real.
• 45:52
  Do you want to be?
• 45:54
  You know the reason why mo why some of
• 45:56
  you struggle with it? I won't say most
• 45:58
  of you. You're faithful. You're on
• 45:59
  Sunday night. You know why some of you
• 46:01
  struggle with it?
• 46:04
  Because you don't really want it.
• 46:06
  >> You know it's going to cost you
• 46:08
  something. You say, "Preacher, what it
• 46:10
  cost Samuel?" Well, it cost him his
• 46:11
  kids.
• 46:13
  his kids didn't do what he wanted them
• 46:14
  to do. So, you know what he do had to
• 46:16
  do? He had to unseat them.
• 46:19
  This is what I you know what I want you
• 46:21
  to remember about that. God could have
• 46:23
  raised up somebody else to took Samuel's
• 46:24
  place instead of his children. And you
• 46:28
  know what? Samuel would have done just
• 46:29
  like Eli. He would have mentored him and
• 46:32
  put him in that place. Eli's children
• 46:34
  wouldn't fit. And so Hannah gave Samuel.
• 46:37
  And you know what God knew? God knew
• 46:39
  Samuel would take the place of Eli's
• 46:41
  children. Eli raised him in the nurture
• 46:43
  and admonition of the Lord there at the
• 46:45
  house of God and God blessed him. Samuel
• 46:47
  would have done the same thing. But you
• 46:49
  know what? The nation of Israel, they
• 46:51
  wanted something different. You know,
• 46:53
  the reason why some of you aren't
• 46:54
  faithful is because you're sitting
• 46:55
  around looking for something different.
• 46:59
  You're scrolling Facebook looking for a
• 47:02
  church somewhere else that's a little
• 47:03
  closer to what you want.
• 47:08
  You're looking for a preacher that
• 47:09
  preaches a little more like you'd like
• 47:10
  to hear.
• 47:14
  Looking for a choir that sings the songs
• 47:15
  you like to sing?
• 47:19
  Looking for something that just suits
• 47:20
  you a little better? Well, let me say
• 47:23
  this. Just cuz they do it and get by
• 47:24
  with it don't mean God's in it.
• 47:27
  But let me tell you this. If you're
• 47:28
  saved by the grace of God, you know
• 47:31
  without a shadow of a doubt that we have
• 47:32
  the Holy Spirit of God working in this
• 47:34
  place every single service. Let me ask
• 47:39
  you, how much is it worth to you?
• 47:43
  How much is it worth to you? I'm telling
• 47:46
  you, I'm operating this thing the best I
• 47:48
  to my the best of my ability because I
• 47:50
  want that to stay.
• 47:52
  And whatever that costs me, I don't care
• 47:55
  what the brethren think. Whatever that
• 47:56
  costs me, I want it to stay.
• 48:00
  I don't care what the world says. Care
• 48:02
  what the brethren say. They can
• 48:04
  compromise. They can fall out. And even
• 48:07
  my own family, though they be corrupt
• 48:09
  around me. And I'm thankful I don't have
• 48:11
  any of that right now. I'm praying that
• 48:13
  God keeps it out. But I want to say
• 48:15
  this. I'd rather have the Holy Ghost of
• 48:17
  God working in every single service.
• 48:22
  I'd rather see God change and move
• 48:23
  things around in other places, but I'd
• 48:26
  rather him stay working here the same
• 48:29
  way. We don't want no kings.
• 48:32
  We just want God. As she begins to play
• 48:35
  tonight,
• 48:40
  some are on the altar tonight, others
• 48:42
  need to come.
• 48:46
  Don't sell out, child of God. You can be
• 48:49
  faithful.
• 48:51
  You can. It's possible.
• 48:55
  Those of you that's in your sunset years
• 48:57
  of life, don't quit now. Don't back up
• 49:00
  now.
• 49:02
  Those of you that's in your middle age,
• 49:03
  just cuz your children are growing on
• 49:06
  up, don't back up your standard just cuz
• 49:08
  they're starting to push against you.
• 49:11
  Matter of fact, you probably need to
• 49:12
  tighten them up a little bit.
• 49:15
  If they're rebelling against you, maybe
• 49:18
  y ought to just show them, hey, we're
• 49:19
  serious about this thing.
• 49:22
  Maybe y'all tighten it down a little
• 49:23
  bit.
• 49:27
  You young people,
• 49:30
  don't let your friends,
• 49:34
  cousins, those family members that you
• 49:36
  have, don't let them hinder you
• 49:39
  from the Holy Spirit moving in your
• 49:41
  life.
• 49:44
  If you have a mom or daddy maybe that's
• 49:47
  not on board with the church house,
• 49:52
  you make sure that you stay on board
• 49:53
  with God
• 49:55
  and he'll keep you in the right place.
• 49:58
  He'll keep you in the right place.
• 50:01
  You can be faithful. You can.
• 50:06
  It's not beyond your reach, child of
• 50:08
  God. It's not
• 50:14
  you can tonight. Father, thank you.
• 50:19
  Thank you for this place.
• 50:22
  And Lord, I am so grateful, Lord, humbly
• 50:24
  in my heart tonight. I'm so grateful for
• 50:26
  the liberty, Lord, you've given me to
• 50:29
  preach in this place.
• 50:31
  And God, to preach the whole council of
• 50:33
  the word of God and just tell it like it
• 50:35
  is.
• 50:36
  Lord, I realize that I can't do that
• 50:38
  myself
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  because Lord, my flesh is utterly
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  corrupt. And in my flesh, God, I would
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  go the way of the world. Lord, I would
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  certainly compromise. I would certainly
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  be corrupt. And God, I would certainly
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  lead in a way that's away from you.
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  But God, would you please keep us in a
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  place close to you?
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  God, help us never to get, Lord, in one
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  mindset, Lord, that we are just going to
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  go away from you collectively.
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  Oh father, please keep us where your
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  holy spirit work with us and in us and
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  on us Lord and through us.
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  God don't ever permit us to go away from
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  you.
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  Cuz Lord, I know Father that
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  Lord, if we get in our mind what we want
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  to do, sometimes you'll just let us do
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  it.
• 51:30
  Lord, please keep us from what would
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  harm us. Lord, I sure love you and I
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  thank you for this church. Thank you for
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  these people. I pray for those that was
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  here lost this morning. Oh God, please
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  would you not let them live, God, this
• 51:42
  week in that lost state. God, I pray
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  they'd find somebody and get saved.
• 51:46
  Lord, I ask you, God, that you bless our
• 51:48
  church and continue to strengthen us and
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  help us these days. We'll give you
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  praise for it because we ask it in Jesus
• 51:53
  name. Amen.
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  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 51:58
  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
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  the next time you are able at Meadows
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  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
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  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 52:10
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
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  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 52:15
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
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  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
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  evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
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  more information, visit us at
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  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
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  Thanks again for tuning in.