WEBVTT 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:09.599 Welcome to Sharper Sword, the publication ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:16.480 Lighthouse believes that individuals can reach their potential for the Lord as they grow in Christ. 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:22.320 We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:29.600 Let's join Pastor Doug Fisher as he preaches another important biblical message from the Word of God. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:34.799 Deuteronomy chapter 12, please. 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.280 Deuteronomy chapter 12. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:42.079 And we're going to go in the New Testament also in John chapter 4. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:45.840 Deuteronomy 12 and John chapter number 4. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:52.560 And if you'll give a span of attention, we'll do something before the Lord tonight that I believe would honor him. 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:55.200 I want to show you the principle first, please. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:59.439 Deuteronomy 12 and John chapter number 4. 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:03.600 Brethren, let's understand that the Old Testament is our ensemble. 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:07.280 And what we're supposed to do is learn that as an example. 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:11.760 And oftentimes in the Old Testament, it shows the mind of the Lord. 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:14.400 You know, I want to say something to you. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:20.799 I have some sorrow for Christians who don't read their Old Testament. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:22.239 I mean that. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:29.439 I have sorrow in my heart for Christians who don't spend time in the Old and the New. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.040 I mean, the whole Bible is to be consumed. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:35.920 And somebody says, well, the old that's back then. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:40.159 I want to tell you, the old back then has the same of God of now. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:44.239 And he reveals things about himself in the Old Testament. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:46.079 Look at Deuteronomy 12. 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:51.519 What he asked them to do was important, and then you're holding your place in John 4. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:53.040 Look at verse 5. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:54.239 Verse 5. 00:01:54.560 --> 00:02:09.680 But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither shalt thou shalt come. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:15.840 He says, I'm going to choose a place from time to time, and I want you all to come there. 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:33.120 And when you come there, in that place, verse 6, then you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, heave offerings, your hand and your vows, your free will offerings, the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:40.159 Now, we know by what he just described there, they would go to the place where the tabernacle was set up. 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:49.439 And during the book of uh Joshua, if you would, and the end of uh the book of Moses, it was set up in Shiloh. 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:51.199 And then it would move to Gibeon. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:55.280 But that was where they brought their offerings, if you would, in a place. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:03:01.039 And he said, When you bring them in that place, and you all show up there, look at verse 7. 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:04.800 And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:09.360 And ye shall say the word, rejoice. 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:17.599 You're supposed to, you're gonna rejoice in all that you put your hand unto, ye and your households. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:20.159 Look at it, it says, the families. 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:23.520 Not just the tribes, but the households, the families. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.639 So you're gonna come to that place, which I'm gonna choose. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:39.039 You're gonna take your burnt offerings, your different offerings, your heave offerings, your uh uh offerings of your herds and your flocks, and you're gonna rejoice in what your hands have been doing. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:43.280 Brethren, all of those offerings required the work of their hands. 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:49.439 I don't know if you know anything about farming, but it takes a lot of work to raise animals. 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:51.439 You say, what do you mean? 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:54.800 It takes a lot of labor to raise animals. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:59.199 I I at where I grew up, they had what was called 4H. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:07.039 If you don't know what 4H is, there's 4H is the health and and the and the and the things that it stands for. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:24.399 But what it did basically, they raised, if you would, uh up uh uh things from the ground and things, if you would, from animals and made things, and then those would become those that would go into what was called uh future farmers of America. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:39.839 And you may look and laugh a little bit, but I want to tell you where I grew up in Ohio, they had they had the uh denim jackets, the blue jean jackets, and the blue jean jackets had a had a big uh big thing on the pat a patch on the back. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:44.959 And they were everybody who was a future farmer of America wore them. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.439 There's only two things you were in Ohio. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:05:04.560 Either you worked on cars and you went to shop and you went to mechanics and you worked on cars, or you were a future farmer of America and you wore your your denim jacket, if you would, or your blue jean jacket with the big patch on, and nobody thought it was funny. 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:08.079 Nobody laughs but the farmers. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:10.639 The farmers were our economy. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:12.399 Are you still with me or not? 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:15.519 I still have a high, high respect for the farmers. 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.480 I worked with the farmers starting when I was 12 years old. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:21.920 My dad was already passed away, if you would, at 10. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:26.319 And at 12 years old, I went out and they hired me to work out in the fields. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:28.000 I remember working out with them. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:34.879 My my first job was hoeing soy beans and hoeing the thistles out of the soy bean patches. 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:37.120 You say, how exciting is that? 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:39.360 It builds character. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:47.519 You're out there by yourself and you're hoeing thistles out of the sowing bean patch, and the farmer's gonna come out and check. 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:51.759 He doesn't want them scraped off, he wants the roots dug out. 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.879 He wants them gone, and he's gonna check on you. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:06:01.199 Then we went into baleing hay and hanging tobacco and all the different stuff that I was hired to do. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:07.600 And I grew up for three years working on the farm and working with farmers, if you would, and I gained a healthy respect. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:15.680 I worked with pig farmers, I worked with cattle farmers, I worked with dairy farmers, and I gained a healthy respect for working with your hands. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:18.480 And I want to tell you something, they don't slack. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:21.439 They're up before the sun is up. 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:39.199 I'm telling you, when the farmer's wife, if you would, has a meal, it's usually about 11 in the morning, and that's the main meal because you've already been working out there since six in the morning, and she puts on this big spread, and by four in the afternoon, you're dusted, you're wasted, you're you're you're completely done. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:45.279 And you got blisters, and you got, I mean, you're just covered with dirt and dust and all kinds of stuff. 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:49.839 And I want to tell you, I look back now and think, what a wonderful way to grow up. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.040 Well, what a wonderful late way to learn some character. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.800 You say, What'd you get paid? 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:56.319 Next to nothing. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:00.079 But next to nothing when you're 13 is a lot of money. 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:03.279 And you don't have a dad, and it's just your mom. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:07.360 I want to tell you, next to nothing is a wonderful thing when you get a paycheck. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:12.879 But I look back and I remember when I left Ohio at about 16 years old. 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:16.319 One of the things I really missed were those farmers. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:20.959 One of those things uh I really uh I really kind of longed for later. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:26.240 I went to college then, you know, and went in the Marine Corps, but I thought about those farmers. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:30.240 After I got saved, I went back to visit those farmers. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:32.879 I went back and drove onto their farmland. 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:36.160 Uh uh, some of them I went back later and they weren't there anymore. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:37.279 They had passed away. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:44.160 Others of them that I grew up with, some of the men, if you would, that I, boys that I grew up with, had taken over the farms. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:47.839 I went back there to try to witness to some because I was concerned about them. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:49.120 I want you to know something. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:52.160 Have a lot of respect for those that grow our food. 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:54.240 You still with me or not? 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:59.519 Have a lot of respect for where we get our milk and cheese from, if you would, and that type of thing. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:04.240 Praise the Lord that uh we have places where we can grow food in our country. 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:06.319 But I want you to know something, brethren. 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:11.360 These, with the work of their hands, it was an agriculture-based society. 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.519 It was an animal husbandry-based society, and they work long and hard. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:26.959 He said, I want you to bring what you've grown, I want you to bring what you've raised in the place where I tell you to come, and every once in a while I want you to stop, eat there, and rejoice. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:28.959 Now look what he says, stay with me. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:30.639 He says this in verse 7. 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:40.639 And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hands into, ye and your households, plural. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:44.480 Now, watch this, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.240 Brother, I want to tell you something. 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:50.480 Farmers know if the rains don't come, the crops aren't blessed. 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:57.519 They are dependent on the weather, and I want you to know there's a lot of farmers that are Christians and they pray about the weather. 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:05.120 I mean, you you'd be surprised where they say, Boy, I'm just praying for the right time to plant, praying for the right time to harvest. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:16.480 You harvest too late if the rains and the winds come and it blows all your wheat out, or the rains come and knocks all your stocks down, or or oh, I hated baling hay after rain. 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.440 Oh, what a, what a uh, I won't even go into that. 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:27.120 The idea was it was heavy, it was uh it was uh laborous and and trying to stack that up the way they wanted to. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:28.639 It took a lot of work. 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:32.559 And may I say to you that what God said to them once in a while was stop. 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:46.559 Eat where I'm telling you to eat, rejoice in the work of your hands, rejoice in your labors, and rejoice because I blessed your labors. 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:49.600 Brethren, it's still God giving the increase. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.080 Notice what he says a little further, stay with me. 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:53.519 He says, verse 10. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:10:04.320 Verse 10, when ye go over Jordan, when you go out of this wilderness, you go into the promised land, and you dwell in that land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit. 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:11.919 When he hath given you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:13.600 Brother, I want to tell you something. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:16.639 We have a country where we dwell in relative safety. 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:17.759 Come on, is that right? 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:21.919 You look at other parts of the world, they're not dwelling in safety like we get to. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:27.120 I know there's shootings and all kinds of stuff that go on these days, but we still have relative safety. 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:28.000 I don't know about you. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:32.480 I'm gonna drive home tonight and not worry about a tank coming down the road. 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:34.879 We're in relative safety. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:43.200 Then, then there in that promised land shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to call his name. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:47.600 For a while it was gonna be Shiloh, and then it was gonna be Gibeon, to dwell there. 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:57.200 Thither shall ye bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithe, your heath offerings, uh, all that of your hand. 00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:58.480 Notice what he said. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:11.519 All that you've raised with your hand, all that you've grown with your hand, all those animals you raised with your hand, and all your choice vows which you were, he said, I want you to come, verse 12, and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God. 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:27.759 Every once in a while, what God said was, Your labors that I've blessed, the work of your hand, I want you to come in the place that I've chosen, and I want you to stop for a moment, and I want you to eat there, and I want you to turn around and rejoice on what I'm doing. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:30.960 I want you to realize I'm giving the increase. 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:33.440 I want you to realize that I've been blessing you. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:39.120 I want you to realize who brought you here, who gave you this promised land, who's making your crops grow. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:40.559 Come on, are you still with me? 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:46.879 The idea is who's raising your your your your uh your animals and the grain that they get. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:57.360 I was uh working with a guy up north in Montana, and he was a manager of a of a of a of a huge ranch, and I was learning from him. 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:00.960 And the ranch literally, this is no no no exaggeration. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:02.720 I said, How big is this ranch? 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:08.320 He said, Well, he says, near as I can figure, from one end to the other, it's 40 miles. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:11.919 Let me let that sink in. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:16.559 40 miles from one end of the ranch to the other. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:20.399 And they were growing, uh, they were growing huge cows. 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:24.399 I mean, they sold them and they they had calfing and and everything. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:28.240 And I said, uh uh, tell me about the business, tell me how it works. 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:30.799 And he said this, well, you'd be surprised. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:31.679 I said, what is it? 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:38.159 He said, well, it's all determined mainly by the weather and how we do with the animals and and how they calve. 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:41.440 Because we make our money on the number of calves. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:47.440 And they had uh they had cowbies out there, cowboys out there, they were branding them, they were they were doing the whole bit. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:55.200 And I was watching, I got to go up there a few years and pick his brain a little bit, and he said, uh, honestly, it's all about the rains. 00:12:55.440 --> 00:13:03.200 If the rains come right, they feed and graze out there and they produce more offspring if the rains are right. 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:11.360 If the rains bring up the crops the way they're supposed to, where they graze, they they they they uh have a bigger increase. 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:15.200 I'm saying, so it's all determined by the weather then, he said, that's right. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:17.200 So it's all determined by God then. 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:21.759 He said, well, if we do everything else right with our hands, it's up to God whether we get blessed or not. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:22.320 That's right. 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:23.840 Come on, are you still with me? 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:27.759 And the idea, brother, it's still up to God whether we get blessed or not. 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:38.639 Whether we're growing harvest or whether we're growing animals or whether we're growing business or whether we're growing whatever you do in this city, in the military, it's still up to God to bless and give the increase. 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:46.639 And once in a while, he said, I want you to come together in a place that I'll choose, that I'll put my name on. 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:49.679 I want you to pause for a moment, I want you to rejoice. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:52.799 I want you to turn around and realize what I've been doing. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:56.240 Because, brethren, we can get so busy, and I want to tell you something. 00:13:56.399 --> 00:14:03.360 We can get so much in the negative that once in a while God turns around, says to turn around and be exhilarated a little bit. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:05.600 Be of good cheer a little bit. 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:15.679 Rejoice is a word that means exhilaration and a good countenance and not just thinking on the negatives, but turn around and see the positives of what God is doing. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:24.399 I want to tell you, in a church, a church that rejoices, will get past the backbiting and the envy and the negatives and what's wrong. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:30.320 And may I say, God wants a church that once in a while you come to the place and you say, we're not thinking about negative tonight. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:32.480 We're gonna think about God blessing our hand. 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:35.200 We're gonna think about what God's been doing for us. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:38.080 And praise the Lord, we got something to rejoice about. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.919 Look at John chapter 4, please. 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:41.279 Everybody's still all right tonight? 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:42.240 Say amen. 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:44.080 John chapter number four. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:52.799 Brethren, we get the opportunity for this leadership conference coming up, and there's always gonna be problems and things to deal with, but praise the Lord we get to minister to some people. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:56.960 John chapter 4, we are not doing it for our popularity. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:59.120 We're not doing it for our image. 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.120 We're doing it to please the Lord. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:03.440 We're doing it to encourage the encouragers. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:04.720 John chapter 4. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:09.440 With what we just read in Deuteronomy 12, look at John chapter 4, verse 35. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.559 John chapter 4, verse 35. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:17.120 Say ye not, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:18.080 Harvest. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:27.919 Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, look on the fields, for they are white already to what? 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:29.360 Say it, harvest. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:30.960 You know what he's talking about? 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:31.919 People. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:33.600 Amen. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:37.039 Brethren, we're in harvest time still in America. 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:39.440 We just talked about the harvest of the Old Testament. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:44.159 We talked about the animal husbandry, we talked about the crops and the bumper crops. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:48.559 Now we're in a harvest, and and maybe you grow some things a little bit. 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:53.840 I mean, we don't grow them, if you would, to make a living off of them per se, but maybe you grow something. 00:15:53.919 --> 00:16:02.639 Uh, I was out visiting with one of our families the other day, and they give me a couple of carton of eggs that come off of their chickens, and I thought, that's good stuff, man. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:13.919 That I grew up with chicken, chicken farms and chicken ranches, and we had a chicken hen house out behind our our little uh place there, and we had an acre and a half of garden. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:15.840 You say, oh, that's a lot of garden. 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:18.559 I want to tell you, I didn't like that garden. 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:25.200 We didn't have we everything was done with a hand push little wheel thing that you pushed. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:28.720 We didn't, my my dad had a tractor, and he's the only one that used that. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:34.879 It was a little push tractor thing that had wheels and and it it plowed a little bit, but he never let us use that. 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:41.519 We always had to push ours and bake the rows, and if it wasn't done right, he'd say, do it over again. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:45.120 And we had to take care of the strawberries and pick strawberries. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:49.200 I barely came back with a quart of strawberries because they all went in my mouth. 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:49.679 Amen. 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:50.799 I'm serious. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:57.360 When I went out and picked strawberries for about an hour, two hours, my dad would say to me, Where's your where's I told you to go pick a quart? 00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:58.639 I said, I did. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:00.399 He said, It took you two hours. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.480 I said, Well, dad, you know, here's what you do if you don't know anything about strawberries. 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.200 You look and you go, that's a juicy one right there. 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:10.559 That that that one's gonna taste really special. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:12.880 Because they didn't all taste that way. 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:16.400 And it's like, and here's the deal, he said, don't eat them halfway. 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.400 If you're out there, eat them, eat the whole thing. 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:20.799 And you kind of look and you kind of go, Oh, that's a good one. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:30.799 I'm gonna mm and I'd come back with strawberry all over my lips and all over my hands, and he'd say, Man, and he laugh, he'd laugh about it. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:36.400 My point being is we grew up in that kind of stuff and you grew it, but there was a lot of work growing it. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:44.000 We had snow back there, and we had to put the straw on the strawberries so they wouldn't freeze out if you would, and cover them with straw. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.480 And we called it banking the strawberries. 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.960 You had to you had to cover them down a little bit. 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:55.119 A lot of good wisdom in all that, but I want to say to you that now we are still in a harvest. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.160 It's a harvest of souls. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:00.000 Talk to me a little bit. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:01.759 You ought to say amen right there. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:08.480 Because what we do is we're supposed to rejoice because it says this, verse number 36. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:14.880 He that reapeth, uh he that reapeth receiveth wages and gather fruit unto life eternal. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:21.279 That both he that soweth and he that reapeth may, say the word, rejoice together. 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:27.039 If we're not rejoicing when people are getting witness to and getting saved, we're missing something. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:31.920 If we're not turning around once in a while and rejoicing a little bit, we're missing something. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:35.839 We're supposed to rejoice like they were told to in the new in the Old Testament. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:39.680 And here is that saying that true, one soweth and another reapeth. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:44.000 And the idea is I sent you to reap, and that thereon you bestowed no labor. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.160 Other men labored, you entered into their labors. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:50.400 Brethren, we put the word of God out, we put the gospel out. 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:54.880 Sometimes we get to reap, but sometimes we're the planters, and then someone else gets to reap it. 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:57.839 As long as we're part of the harvest, that's the main thing. 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:01.759 Take your Bible one more time, if you would, to look at 1 Corinthians 4. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:03.279 1 Corinthians, please. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:04.000 Please turn there. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:05.359 Stay with me, almost done. 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:07.440 1 Corinthians, please. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:11.680 1 Corinthians, and in 1 Corinthians, I gave you four, chapter 3. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:13.759 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:18.640 I remind you that God is still the one that gives the increase in the harvest. 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:21.200 Notice what he says in verse number 9. 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.319 For we are laborers together with God. 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:27.119 Brethren, we get to work with God. 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:29.759 We're labors together with him. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:31.839 Ye are God's husbandry. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:33.440 Interesting, he said it that way. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:35.119 Ye are God's building. 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:37.200 Well, what does it say before that? 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:44.000 Well, uh, we're supposed to plant, we're supposed to water, but verse 6, God gives the increase. 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:47.359 Verse number 7, God giveth the increase. 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:52.720 And then verse number 8, he that planteth and he that watereth are one, John 4. 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:56.319 And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor there. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:57.359 Brethren, please listen. 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:05.839 In the Old Testament, God says, in the place that I tell you, where you bring your the work of your hands, that I've blessed, that I've given the increase. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:11.119 I want you to stop there, and I want you to eat there, and I want you to rejoice in what I've done for you. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:12.559 I say this to you. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:18.240 Once in a while in our church, we still need to stop at the place, at the local church where He gave us. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:23.680 And I understand you could do it in your homes, but tonight I'm gonna ask you to do it here at this place. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:24.880 What do you mean? 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:28.079 I'm gonna ask you tonight to purposely rejoice. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:32.319 What are we gonna rejoice over? 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:34.960 Well, I get text, if you would. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:40.240 And so here's the text, a couple of them of this last uh Saturday. 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:43.359 Um, two new bus riders sign up today. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:44.400 Thank our Lord. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:50.319 Someone text that uh so many out soul winning, two saved so far. 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:52.559 That was one of our soul winning groups. 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:57.519 Uh great day visiting, just got back, five people saved. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:20:58.880 Another one of our groups. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:00.160 Come on, are you still with me? 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:02.160 You say I don't hear this all the time. 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:08.720 That's why I'm turning around and telling you, we need to look at the work of our hands and see that God is still blessing. 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:10.880 God is still giving the increase. 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:12.720 I got this one today. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:15.119 Uh incredible outreach team. 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:21.839 Uh, we met Julius yesterday, picked him up this morning, uh, came to Sunday school, morning worship. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.960 Julius received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:27.920 Had his name written in the Lamb's Book of Life in the 11 a.m. 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:28.400 service. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:30.640 Brethren, I want to tell you something. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.640 It's not how many, it's who. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:36.559 I'm all for the how many, but it's also who. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:42.240 We got to hear uh Kevin Wynne talk about reaping souls down that we get to be a part of in Mexico. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:46.960 What I'm saying to you is, brethren, there ought to be some rejoicing once in a while. 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:58.960 Oh, you can just grudge it if you want and look at the negatives, but God expects us to turn around sometimes at the place where He designates himself to us and say, I want you to turn around and rejoice a little bit. 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:01.599 I want you to Turn around and thank me a little bit. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:05.279 I want you to turn around and recognize what I've been doing for you a little bit. 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:08.720 I got a picture here of uh uh late last night. 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:12.160 Uh somebody sent me a picture, and it's a picture, if you would. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:14.799 They're up at Cow's Mountain praying. 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:17.359 And they show me a picture of the of our city. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:24.319 If you know where Cow's Mountain is, we go up there, it's mountain prayer, and uh, he just showed me a picture and he says, just up praying tonight, Pastor. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:30.079 Praying for the church, praying for leadership conference, and went on to talk about some of the things he's praying for. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:31.599 Brother, I want to tell you something. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.359 If your hands are involved, there's something to rejoice about. 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:38.799 If your hands are active, there's something to rejoice about. 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:44.240 And once in a while, God wants us to turn around and rejoice in the work of our hands. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:46.640 We've been doing work around here this past weekend. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:47.759 We had the RU. 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:50.079 We had a music night on Saturday night. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.240 We've had work going on here. 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:55.200 Uh this week uh we have a funeral to do. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:02.160 Uh we have Thursday night service, we have Monday and Tuesday night Bible Institute, we have your RU Friday night, we have the men's meeting, we have a youth rally. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:03.680 Uh, brother, please look up here. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:08.160 Maybe we're a little bit busy, but it's better to be busy than bored. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:14.160 It's better to be busy than having nothing to do and just finding fault with each other. 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:22.319 Because if the church isn't doing something in the way of outreach and growth and plans and vision, we will turn on each other. 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:24.400 Come on, do you hear what I said? 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:32.400 We turn away, we turn away from each other and give each other the benefit of the doubt because we're concerned about people getting saved. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.799 We're concerned about ministering to people. 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:42.240 I don't want to be a church that's stagnated, that all we do is look across the aisle and find fault in our minds. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:45.039 I'd rather you rejoice in what God's doing. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:48.000 I'd rather you hear the report of someone getting saved. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:51.039 I'd rather you hear that uh we're we're we're gonna have that. 00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:58.000 I'm so thrilled that we're gonna fill this platform with uh with different things you'll see coming up for leadership conference. 00:23:58.079 --> 00:23:59.519 We're planning on it right now. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:04.480 We're gonna fill the platform and make it what God intended when we moved in here. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:07.519 It won't be completely done, but we're we're making progress. 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:09.039 There's a lot of things to be done. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:10.799 There's physical things to be done. 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.400 Uh there's bus routes, if you would. 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:17.920 There's junior churches, there's teaching, there's families, there's households, there's missions, there's things to do. 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:19.759 We're gonna ask you to give a little bit. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:23.680 It's gonna be a busy few weeks, but may you may I say something to you? 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:30.640 Please, please, please, may I hear no one say to me, we're just too busy. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:36.240 How can you be too busy? 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:39.519 Don't tell me you don't have leisure time. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.799 Don't tell me you don't listen to the radio a little bit. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:47.839 Don't tell me you don't watch a little TV, some of y'all. 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:50.880 Don't tell me you don't have some downtime. 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:53.680 Come on, talk to me a little bit. 00:24:54.079 --> 00:25:00.880 Hey, brethren, I'd rather redeem the time in the moment that we have and be busy a little bit. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:03.200 I'd rather go home tired at night. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:05.039 Come on, are you still with me? 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:11.440 And I'm not tired from playing golf, and nothing wrong with playing golf, but but I don't I don't have time to play golf. 00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:21.519 There's too many people to help, there's too many people to follow up on, there's too many people to reach out to, there's too many hospitals to visit, there's too many people that is hurting, if you would, that needs comfort. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:28.000 There's too much praying to do, there's too much studying to do, there's too much things to do just to be doing nothing. 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:35.839 Sometimes I'll go into the bottom of my house, and when I say the bottom, there's two stories, and I'll go to the bottom of my house and I won't come up for a while. 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:38.960 I'm not sleeping. 00:25:39.839 --> 00:25:45.759 I'm praying, I'm studying, I'm thinking, I'm texting, I'm talking. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:50.480 It's good to be busy. 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:54.319 Look, I'm 62, I'm not looking to retire. 00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:56.799 There's too much to do, man. 00:25:56.960 --> 00:25:59.279 All these years, God has been prepping me. 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:02.079 I'm looking and saying, this is the best years. 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:08.000 I'm not I'm not saying I'm totally humble, but I'm not as proud as I used to be in my 20s. 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:13.920 I know I'm not as proud as I was in my 30s, and I know I'm not as proud as I was in my 40s. 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:17.279 And I know he's kind of rooted some things out in my 50s. 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:22.880 I still got some pride, but I gotta tell you, the best years of your life was he when he's got through a lot of pride. 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:26.319 When he's got a lot of that weeded out, you say you don't feel like you're proud. 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:30.960 Look, look, I still got pride, but not like when I was in my 20s. 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:34.319 I mean, I don't look in myself in the mirror and go, yeah. 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:42.799 I don't have full-length mirrors that I go, oh yeah, look at that baby right there. 00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:44.400 That's packing some punch. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:49.200 It's it's it's like it's not there anymore. 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:50.559 Well, get it worked up. 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:51.279 You know what? 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:55.119 If I worked it up for about two weeks, it'd fall down about two days. 00:26:55.519 --> 00:27:02.960 My point of it is this, but the inner man is renewed and strengthened. 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:09.920 And prayer is more important, and study and fellowship with him is more important, and ministering. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:19.920 And I hope you'll see tonight what I'm trying to say is once in a while we need to turn around and purposely rejoice in the place that he's given us to collectively meet. 00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:21.599 Come on, are you still with me tonight? 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:25.759 I know you can do it in your household, but I'm saying God's given us a church house. 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:28.319 And for us, this is our shiloh. 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:32.000 For us, this is the place where we meet. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:33.839 You say, what are you gonna ask me to do tonight? 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:36.000 I'm gonna ask you to come and rejoice a little bit. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:37.920 You say, what if I don't feel like it? 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:40.720 Look at Acts, the book of Acts, real quick, and I'll be done. 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:42.079 Look at the book of Acts. 00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:45.440 In the book of Acts, uh, look at Acts chapter number five. 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:47.119 Acts chapter number five. 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:48.400 Everybody still all right tonight? 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:49.119 Say amen. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:50.559 Acts chapter five. 00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:59.039 I'm excited about what's coming up because I know the men and the women that are coming, and we've got new people coming, and again we get to minister to them a little bit. 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:00.480 Acts chapter five. 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:02.400 Here's an interesting thing. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:06.160 Remember, they were trying to turn around and rejoice in what God was doing. 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:10.000 But look at Acts chapter 5, and notice verse 40. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:13.680 And to him they they agreed. 00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:19.200 And when they had called the apostles, verse 40, and beaten them. 00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:25.039 They commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:32.319 They're beaten up now, and when they say beaten, brethren, they they beat them purposely, their backs. 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:33.599 Beating. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:35.039 Verse 41. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:39.519 And they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing. 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:43.119 That they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:52.799 Now, look, they're humans like we are, and they're getting beaten because they're out preaching the gospel, but somehow they come back rejoicing. 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:56.160 And I got to thinking, why what are they rejoicing about? 00:28:56.400 --> 00:29:00.400 Brethren, uh, turn back if you would and look at Acts chapter 4. 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:02.160 Acts chapter 4, stay with me. 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:03.359