Let the Word of the Lord Have Free Course 3-3 PM 1996

3-3 PM 1996

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. There's certain requirements about being a church, and I don't know, every big church I go to, they have a Pepsi machine, and so we had one for a while, but God took it away. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. And 1 Corinthians chapter 16. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 16. That Pepsi machine was a blessing. Gave me some exercise a couple of times. One of the nights I remember coming over there, and the guy sawing off the little bag that held all the coins. And just about the time he saw me, he stuck them all in his, I don't know, however, and he started running. Another guy started running, and one guy took off to one, and I took off the other guy, jumped the fence, and he was running down El Cahone Boulevard with quarters dropping out. Just dropping out. I mean, just dropping out. And uh, you know, you you always think about, okay, if I tackle this guy, is it going to be a lawsuit or is he going to tackle me or what? I kind of started thinking, okay, how much money is in there and how much is this worth to really uh to get a hold of this guy? Anyways, that's the saga of the Pepsi machine. Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. What does that have to do with anything? Nothing. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. Well, okay, everybody in from out there, let's have a good night in the Lord. Verse 1. Finally, who? Brethren, pray for us. Okay. What are we going to pray for? That the word of the Lord may have free course. And that word of the Lord, after it has free course, it'll be glorified. Even as it is with you. So the first part of the scripture said, brethren, we ought to pray that the word of the Lord has free course. Verse 2, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men. For all men have not faith. Have you ever noticed that as you're trying to give out the word of God, there's always some type of opposition? You ever notice that? Hey, brethren, if there wasn't a battle, what would we be doing down here? I'm glad we're on a battlefield. The Bible says we ought to pray that the word of the Lord has free course, and that those would try to stop that, you'll see in a moment, that God would deliver us from that. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 16. Same type of scripture, notice with me. 1 Corinthians chapter 16. And notice what he says in verse number 8. Same thought behind what he says here. He says in verse 8, I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great what? And an effectual is open unto me. That's the first part. The door is open. It seems like the war of the world is going to have some free course. And there are what? Say it. Many adversaries. Brother, now we're down here giving out the word of God, but the Bible also said there's going to be some opposition. Look at Colossians chapter 4, please. Colossians chapter 4. And with Colossians 4, would you pick up 2 Corinthians chapter 2? Let me give you a basis for this tonight. Colossians 4 and 2 Corinthians chapter 2. We ought to pray in our church that the word of the Lord has free course in our ministries, in our witnessing, and what we're doing for the Lord. We ought to pray that an effectual door will be opened, brethren. Without God, we can do nothing. Colossians chapter 4. It says verse 2. Continue in prayer. Watching the same with thanksgiving. What are we supposed to pray for? Verse 3, with all praying also for us that God would say it. Open unto us a door of what? Utterance. Pray that that word of the Lord would have free course. Pray that there would be an effectual door opened by God to speak the mystery of Christ, for where which I uh am also in bonds. That I may make it manifest, make what? That word, as I ought to speak, walk in wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time. And then he says, Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with what? Salt. And it would be wrong for the salt to lose its savor, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. We ought to pray for the word of the Lord to have free course in our prison ministries. And that not just not just RJ Donovan, but in our MCC prison, the ladies' prison, and all the rest of the things. Brother, we ought to just take some time every once in a while and pray that God would open doors for the word of the Lord to have free course, and that would be effectual. And when we do, we know there's going to be adversaries. Amen? When's the last time you went out soul winning and nothing happened? Maybe we ought to start soul winning by praying that the word of the Lord would have free course and enter into the hearts of some people. Look if you would in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, picking up also Acts chapter 16. 2 Corinthians chapter 2. These are not suggestions, brother. These are commands. Pray that God would open a door of utterance. Pray that the Lord would give free course to his word. If you would, 2 Corinthians chapter 2, the same God of this Bible is the same God that we are serving today. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and Acts chapter 16. We ought to pray that the word of the Lord would have free course in the bus ministry and in the Spanish ministry. We ought to pray that the word of the Lord has free course on the streets of San Diego. Are you listening to me tonight? We ought to ask God to open the door so that word can go out and be effectual. Look if you would at 2 Corinthians 2 and Acts 16. In 2 Corinthians chapter 2, if you would, look at verse 12. Furthermore, when I came to where? Troaz, to preach Christ's gospel. And a door was what? Open to me unto the Lord. I had no rest in my spirit because I found not Times my brother. When he was at Troaz, God opened a door that the gospel could go out. And brother, now, I don't know about you, but I've prayed many times for specific people. God opened the door of their heart so they can receive the word of God. Sometimes when I got an appointment, God opened the door of their heart so they'll be able to receive the word of God. God, I know without you I can do nothing. The word will just not go in tonight unless you open the door. When you preach, preacher, you ought to not just preach and think you got a good message. You ought to say, God, open the door of their hearts tonight. May the word of the Lord have free course and realize there's going to be adversaries. Amen. So he says, when he went to Troas, the gospel message, the door was opened. Look what door was open, and if you were, in Acts chapter 16. In Acts chapter 16. Look, if you were, and he says this in verse number 8. And they, verse 16, chapter 16, verse 8 of the book of Acts. And they passing by Mysia came to where? Troaz. That's where he said that door was open. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. That's why he was at Troaz. There stood a man of Macedonia who prayed to him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and do what? Do what? That sounds like an open door to me, amen. And by the way, may I say this? Somebody says, Wow, the church has grown and we've had different ministries start. If God doesn't open the door, we don't have a ministry. If God doesn't open a door, we don't have a ministry. If God doesn't open a door, we don't have a ministry. Let me say it again. If God doesn't open the door, we don't have a ministry. If God opened the door a long time ago and he shuts the door, we don't have a ministry. I don't want God shutting any doors on us because of us. Amen. If God's opened up a door for us to minister somewhere, we ought to go through that door and ask God to give us the opportunity to utter the right words and that power would be on those words. Hey, we're not going to sing kumbaya and hold hands and call a service. We want the word of God to go out effectively in everything that we do. When the teens get preached at, we want the word of God in their heart. It doesn't matter what we're preaching to the two-year-olds, the three-year-olds, the six-year-olds, the eight-year-olds. It doesn't matter. We want the word of God to go out effectively. We have a deaf ministry because God opened the door of utterance to the deaf people. Would you agree with that? God has to, if you would, do it, or it's not going to get done. They that labor in vain to build the house, you labor in vain unless God builds it. Is that right? If you would, he said the door was open and he said to come over to Macedonia and help us. Look if you would at Acts chapter 6. Acts chapter 6. I want God to do something in my lifetime, don't you? And I'm not saying mine, don't you want God to do something with your life and in your lifetime? Brethren, we only have a short period of time to do it down here, and we ought to pray that God keeps the door open. Look if you would at Acts chapter 6. There's going to be some adversaries, though. Otherwise, uh, what are we doing down here? Amen. Acts chapter 6, look with your wood, in verse number 7. And the word of God what? Say it again. In the word of God what? You all in the bus ministry in those junior churches. We ought to not get discouraged because we don't have the buses anymore. Hey, you ought to say, I got 45 minutes to get God's word into these children's heart. Open up the door, and God increase the word in their heart, and let me preach with some power. He said, and the word of God increased. Well, in the word of God increased, something else is going to happen. The numbers of disciples multiplied. In Jerusalem, how? Greatly. Look at Acts chapter 12, please. Acts chapter 12. These are just all scriptures, if you would, that deal with this idea that we had a prayer that the word of God would go with free course. We know there's going to be adversaries, but greater is he that is in the world. I'm sorry, greater is he that's within us than he that is in the world. Look at Acts chapter 12 and notice verse 24. But the word of God did what? Grew. And what? Multiplied. Man, I like it when the word of God begins to grow and multiply. And we've experienced that in this church. But we ought to not get complacent and just think it's going to continue to go. Some of us need to get down of our knees, men and women and boys and girls, and say, God, you've done it in the past years. Don't let us down this year. And God, we realize without you we can do nothing. Would you increase your word and increase the seed sowed? He says this the word of God grew and multiplied. If God doesn't do it, it's not going to get done. Look at Acts chapter 14, please. Acts chapter 14. In verse number 27, would you look? Verse 27. And when they were come and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that who? If you think you're doing it, you're wrong. God's doing it. Now praise the Lord that we get to be a messenger, and praise the Lord we get to be the pack horses to take the word of God out. And praise the Lord we get opportunities. But if God doesn't do it, it's not going to get done. Look what he says. He said all that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. God has to open that door of faith for someone to get saved. God has to open the door for someone to receive that word of God that's sown. And there they abode long time with the disciples. They gave glory to God. Amen. Hey, if you get to lead somebody to Christ, tell somebody about it. Rejoice with them. Let someone know. Let know what God does, but don't go home and gloat over it. Be encouraged by it. Glory to God. He let me get the word of God out and he opened the door and someone got saved and they really did get saved. Glory to God. But don't think I've done something now. You're setting yourself up. Look what he says. Rehearsed all that God had done. Look, if you would a little bit further down and look at chapter 19. Are you doing okay tonight? Chapter 19. Man, we ought to rejoice that God has given us the opportunity to be involved in the Word of God. And may I say, if church ever gets old to you, you've got a spiritual problem. If people getting saved ever get old to you, you've got a spiritual problem. Because that's why his son came, and that's why his son died, and that's why he left us down here to see people saved. Amen. Look if you word at Acts chapter 19. It's good when God gives me freedom to preach once in a while. Look at verse 20. Enough of these pastoral messages. Let's get to it, amen. Every once in a while on Sunday morning, I said, Oh, it's one of those messages, God. I know. I gotta preach pastorally. It's good to be among get around the military crowd once in a while and say, Let's go get something done for God. Amen. Acts chapter 19, look at verse 20. So mightily grew the word of God, and what? Prevailed. It's so good when God's word grows and prevails, and you see a change in people's lives. I can start pointing out people in here who've been saved over the last four or five or six months, over three months and two months, and they're changing, and the word of God is prevailing in their life, and something's changing in their family and in their teens. I was over in the Spanish ministry after the services today and shaking hands, and there was a man who got saved about, I don't know, I think Brother Shindel said maybe a month ago, and there was his wife who just got saved earlier in the week and just got baptized today, and there was another boy who just got saved on uh Monday and he was thinking about getting baptized. Praise God that the word of God is still prevailing in people's lives, and don't take it complicitly. Don't get in a place where you just get, well, it's just gonna happen. Hey, it's gonna happen if God opens up the door. If your Christianity has grown stale, it's because you're not putting the word out. It's because you're not getting a seat out of the barn, and you're just looking around, and you're just looking at something like this, and you're saying, Well, here's the street preaching. Get involved and you'll get excited. Look over here at 2 Timothy chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3. Man, I've been listening to enough preaching, it's time to preach. Amen. 2 Timothy chapter 3. And look at if you would in verse number 8. There's gonna be some opposition. Hey, you know what? If there's no opposition, then something's wrong with this book. Opposition can do one of two things. Opposition can discourage us or excite us. I mean, there's all kinds of false doctrine running around there, but the Bible said there would be. Look if you would at 2 Timothy chapter 3, and notice it goes back a long way. Look at verse 8. Now, as Janice and Jamborees withstood Moses, so do these also do what? Say it. Resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. Well, Moses was resisted. The word of God was resisted way back in Moses' time. Look at chapter 4. And notice if you would, verse 14. It was resisted back in Paul's time. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. The Lord reward him according to his works. That's a pretty good prayer, amen. That sounds like Paul. He did me much evil. Lord, reward him according to what he did, amen. Or of whom be thou rare also. He said, Be careful, that guy, for he hath greatly withstood our words. But don't you remember in that scripture? Pray that the word of the Lord would have free course. Why? Because there's going to be opposition. There's going to be those that resist the truth. That's part of it, amen. Hey, you've got to look at one of two things. You either look, and I either look at those who resist the truth, or we look at the word of the Lord having free course. It's going to happen. Hey, we've been resisted in the prisons before. I remember when we first got started down at R.J. Donovan. You talk about resistance. Man, we had them against us. Somebody got up and started preaching about the King James Bible and we got caught on the carpet. The priest down there didn't like what we were saying. The rabbi didn't like what we were saying. I'm just telling you, nobody liked what we were saying. We were different. We didn't just sit around in the circle and say, What does your book say? And what is your book saying? And what do you think? And what do you think? And what's your opinion on this? We got up, and someone got up and said, I've got a message, sit down. You're not going to say anything, and they started preaching. You know what? Men like that. Real men like that. When they first heard it, they didn't know what to do. Because you know what it was down there before? Someone would stand up and say, I'd like to share. And wait a minute. And while that guy was sharing, someone else would stand up and say, I have something to share. Oh, brother, share. Share away. And somebody else would say, Oh, I have something to share. Oh, share. And everybody would be sharing. And all guys went down there and said, I'm come to preach the word of God. And nobody shared anymore. It was just boombook, boom up, boom up, boom up, boom. And someone went and complained. And we got caught on the carpet. The Burbank, after how many years? Eight years, we're still the man. Why? Because the word of the Lord has free course because God has opened the door of utterance, and now they won't ever kick him out. Find out who's baptized all those guys down there. How many now, Bill?

unknown 16:51

4,600.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

4,600. 4600. Kumbaya, my Lord. It's because God opened up a door. When? Brother Danny Chapp and I went down there one day before there were any prisoners. We walked in and said, Chaplain, we'd like to talk to you. Salvation Army chaplain. That does, who knows what that means. We explained we'd like to see God put a man in there, fully paid, everything taken care of, and he'll just minister to the word of God. At that point in time, we didn't know of any fundamentalist type of church that believes what we do in the prison system in California. And I mean that. I mean a lot of other things going on, but nothing like we are. And God opened that door to that man's heart and said, That sounds good, let's give it a try. But along the way, there has been opposition. There has been opposition, but God has kept the door open. And you know what? I'm not trying to tell you that we're the only ones down there doing anything. Hey, you know what? Whether strife or vainglory or whatever, well, when the gospel is preached, we're supposed to rejoice, amen. But I'm telling you, the word of God still prevails, and the word of God is still the door is open. As long as it's open, we're going in. Amen? On the streets, wherever it is. I'm just telling you tonight that there's going to be some opposition. Look, if you would at chapter 2. Chapter 2 of 2 Timothy. It's exciting to be around some church where something's happening. Amen? 2 Timothy chapter 2. Well, I'm a little stale. It's probably because you haven't been putting the word of God out, and I'm talking about personally. I'll tell you what happens when I get stale. It's because I'm not giving a gospel track and I'm not asking someone about their soul. And I'm not, you know, it's it's it's kind of like, well, somebody else is doing that. No, it's up to me to do it. It's up to me to do it. God put me in contact with different people along the way for a reason. You have business associates. God's put you in contact with them for a reason. It's for a reason. Look at if you would at 2 Timothy chapter 2. And look if you would at verse 17. Verse 17. Look what he says, or verse 16. But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase into more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker of whom it is Homenaeus and Philetus. Who concerning the truth have what? Say it. Heir. Saying the resurrection is past already. But look what that did. It overthrew the faith of some. What did it do? It resisted the truth. Well, we'll look what happened in 1 Timothy chapter 1. Stay with me. 1 Timothy chapter 1. And notice if you would, verse 19. Verse 19. Let's go back to verse 18. That looks like a good verse. Verse 18. He says this in chapter 1, this charge I committed unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good what? It is a warfare, is that right? And by the way, it's just not the men going out to war, it's the women going out to war. It's the children going out to war. And there's no discharge from this one, amen. We stay in the war till it's over. If you would, look what he says, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith, have made what? Shipwreck. And then he mentions O Hymeneus again in Alexander, whom I delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. The idea here is there's going to be opposition to what we're doing. Look at Jeremiah 36 and 2 Kings 22. Jeremiah 36 and 2 Kings 22. And now we get to the message. 7.15, you'll be out of here before you know it. 2 Kings. You say every time you say that, I'm saying it in truth tonight. Amen? 2 Kings 22. Look at this thing, brother. Josiah. Josiah's the king. I want you to see what happens here. Two similar situations, two different outcomes. 2 Kings chapter 22. Josiah is the king, and look at what happens verse 3. It came to pass in the 18th year of King Josiah. Hilkiah, if you would, goes up in verse 4, and he's the high priest, and they find something in the house of the Lord. Look at verse 8 of 2 Kings chapter 22. Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, and by the way, I don't pronounce all these words tonight or these names, right? I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. Now, after they read this, they say, you know what? Someone ought to go tell the king. So in verse 10, that scribe goes with Hilkiah, and Shaphan or Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, verse 11, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he what? Read his clothes. Hey, brethren, the word of the Lord had free course. And it went into him and it caused a change. The Bible says the king commands Hilkiah the priest and all the rest of them, and he says, Go in, I want you to go up to the house of the Lord. And inquire if this is applying to us. And when they come back and they tell uh Josiah the king, they said, Yes, this is for us, and what we've done is wrong. Uh Josiah causes a change to happen. Look at verse 19. Look what God says. Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord. When thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes and wet before me, I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold, therefore, I will gather thee into thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered in thy grave in peace, and thy eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again. But he doesn't stop there. In chapter 23, what he does, he says, verse 2, and the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great, and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant, which has was found in the house of the Lord. He just didn't stop it by him getting it. He went and said, I want my people to get it. And he read it. Let's contrast that. Look at Jeremiah 36. Some of you already know it. So this king finds the book of the law. He finds the Bible, if you would, and he says, Hey, we've got to do what that book says. In Jeremiah 36, you see just the opposite happening. And with Jeremiah 36, would you pick up Haggai? Haggai chapter 2. Last scripture. Jeremiah 36 and Haggai, or Haggai chapter 2. The Bible says, when you get over into Jeremiah 36, now Josiah, when he heard the word of God, he did something with it. If you would, in Jeremiah chapter 36, look at verse 2. Take thee arrow. He's talking to Jeremiah, and write there in all the words that I have spoken unto thee. By the way, those were inspired words, amen. Unto thee against Israel and against Judah. So what happens is he gets a guy to write with him, if you would, and Jeremiah speaks the word, and this scribe, if you would, pins down all the words. Verse 4. Then Jeremiah called Barak or Baruch. And Barak and Jeremiah, they they write this down in a roll, in a book, and they commanded to take it, and they take it to some of the leaders. If you read it sometime, you ought to read it not right now, but later. And those leaders hear it, and some of them get concerned about it. And they finally say, Let's take it up to the king. And let's see what the king has to say about it. We will surely, verse 16. Now it came to pass when they had heard all the words, they were afraid, both one and other, and said to Barak or Baruch, We will surely tell the king all these words. And they asked Barak, saying, Tell us now, how didst thou write all these words at his mouth? Then Barak answered and said uh answered them, He, that's Jeremiah, and that's also God, by the way, pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book. That's that's simple, isn't it? Hold the man of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then said the princes unto Barak, go hide thee, and thou and Jeremiah, and let no man know where ye be. And they went into the king into the court. And now they go on in, and when they get in there, verse 21. So the king sent Jehudai or Jehedi to fetch the roll, and he took it out of that scribe's chamber, and Jehudai read it in the ears of the king. Now remember, when Josiah heard it, he did something about it in a positive way. The word of the Lord had free course, and it affected the kingdom in a very positive way. Look what this king does. In the ears of all the princes which stood by the king. Now the king sat in the winter house, verse 22, in the ninth month, and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. And it came to pass that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the pnife. By the way, that's what they've been doing to the King James for a while. Amen. He cut it with a penknife and cast it into the fire that was upon the on the hearth. Until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments. Neither the king nor any of his servants that heard all these words. Hey, brother, you know what he did? He just took it and he'd read it and he'd cut it out and they'd roll it up and throw it in the fire. Cut it out and roll it up and throw it in the fire. Cut it out and roll it up and throw it in the fire. You say, well, God's word done. Couldn't do anything. Oh, God wasn't done. Hey, brother, if they burn all these books, God's word will still prevail. He's going to get his job done. Why? Because 2 Timothy says his word is not bound. It's going to get the job done sooner or later, one way or the other. Amen? So they cut it up and throw it away and cut it up and throw it away. And God says, alright. Verse 27. Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Burk wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, Take thee again another roll. They burned that one up, we'll make another one. Amen. Take thee again another role. And write it all the former words that were in the first role, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned up. The point is, one king took the word of God, and not only did it let it go in his heart, but he gave it to the people. The other king stopped the word of God, if you would, from going forth. One resisted the truth, one propelled the truth, and brethren, what we're doing in this world, one's gonna resist what we're doing with the truth, and one's gonna accept it. But look up here. You don't give up because one resisted it. You don't stop because one door slammed, or you don't stop because one person got irate and tore up your track, or one person scolded you for what you're doing. Even the Christian out there who says, I don't think you're gonna be doing it this way. Well, what the way are you doing it? Because you're gonna always run into somebody that doesn't agree with what you're doing. I mean, we got people coming to the church. I didn't like the way he yelled. Whatever the hell is some people do because you keep coming back, amen. But it's not because the way I yell or because the enthusiasm, it's because of the book. That's why you're here, but it's not because of death vision, it's because of this book. And God wants you here. Woman, listen, you can run into somebody who says, How many times have you done that? And just when you say I'm done, God says one more. Go on, one more. I want to show you my hand, one more. And we don't want to, but we go one more. John Jenkins, when he was here, talked about that one last door. It happens that way a lot. That one last hour that we're out doing, and we we get to see God's hand in the whole thing. So one of them cuts it up and one of them throws it away. God's not done with what he's doing. Look at Haggai. Haggai chapter two. And now let's look at ourselves just for a moment. Haggai chapter 2. There's going to be men that resist the truth, and I guess that's one way to bind up the word of God. Well, let me tell you another way that we can bind up the word of God. Look at Haggai, chapter 2. And look at a question that burns in my heart from time to time personally. Look at verse 19. Just one question. Would you read the question with me in verse 19? Starts with the word is. Ready? Begin. Is the seed yet in the barn? Let's read it again. Is the seed yet in the barn? You say, well, what do you think the seed is? Well, if I guess if you spiritualize it and you go to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the seed that's sowed is the what? The word of God. And let me ask you tonight, here we are in the third month now, beginning this Sunday of the year of 1996. Last year's gone. The year before that's gone, the year before that's gone. The rest of the years they're gone. Now we have to look at this year. Let me ask you a question. Have you yet decided this year to get the seed out of the barn in your own personal life? Now listen to me, look at me. Some of us used to go soul winning, we don't anymore. Some of us used to be involved in evangelism. If we're not careful, we'll just let somebody else do it. Please look up here. I'm not trying to be unkind to anybody. If I in my own personal life, please look up here. Study this book, but keep the seed in the bar and I don't give it out. The only one that I'm binding up the word is just with this person right here. God's still going to get his job done. The only difference is he's not going to use me. We as a church, year after year after year after year, what we've tried to do is get the seed out of the barn. And all these different ministries, get the word of God out there. Watch God do something. And 1996 should be no different. Hey, uh, five weeks from now, on April, I believe it's the 7th, is what? Easter. It's a cultural holiday called Easter. And you know what? A lot of people come to church on Easter. There'll be people that come to church that we contacted months ago and over a half year ago. And they'll think, uh, let's see, where should we go to church? Uh, hey, I don't know, let's let's let's go back to that lighthouse place. And that's good. There's nothing wrong with that. Somebody say, well, it's the Easter bonnet crowd. Yeah, it is the Easter Bonnet crowd, but at least they're come and they'll hear the word of God. I want to say this. How many Easters do you have left? I asked the question this morning. How many Easters do you have left to get the seed out of the barn? Easter, it seems like more than ever, people will take an Easter invitation or Easter track. And what we're gonna do in Easter is something maybe just a little bit different we ever done. God has given this bigger building here to us. And um, we want to use it. So on Easter morning, what we're gonna do is the choir is gonna sing some special music. We've got a short drama presentation, and then I'm gonna preach. You say, why are you doing that? Uh, because we want the Word of God to have free course, and maybe with some little singing and a little drama presentation, like we do at Christmas time, and then I'm gonna preach a message, and you don't have to worry about whether or not the message is gonna be strong or not. It'll be it'll get the job done, Lord willing. But we want you to bring some people. I mean, go look for somebody. Go look for a business associate or a neighbor or someone that lives down the street or somebody that you've been working to for a long time that you've never yet witnessed to. And ask them to come to church. And then pray that the word of the Lord would have free course into the door of their heart. That God would give you the voice of utterance. And that that word of God would not be like what happened with Jehoiakim, but what happened with Josiah, and that there would be a change in that person's life. Brethren, I don't know about you, I don't have many Easters left. They're passing by pretty quick. Seems like we were just at Easter last year. Somebody says, Well, you know, I'm not that kind of person. They are you're the kind of person to pray. Because it says, brethren, finally, brethren, pray for us. But the word of the Lord would have what? Say it. Three cores. Three cores. We need to increase our prayer life, if you would, over the next few weeks as we come up to Easter. We'd like to see God do something. Now, God has done something, but brethren, if you understand what I'm saying, we can't rely on what he did last week, on the week before. We can't rely, praise the Lord what he did on the buses, praise the Lord what he did at the cantata, praise the Lord what he did on our big day. But that's over. And there's more people that need to hear. And God's left us, and we still got breath, and we still got a little energy, so we need to keep on going. And we're not a church that's gonna rest on what we used to do and what we used to be. We're gonna be a church that continues to occupy and press on and press enough and get the gospel out. I don't care what other churches are doing if they're drawing enough, if they're looking enough, if they're glad enough, we're being seven days with this church, please. God getting the things placed. Come on, it's one of the walls. As long as the word of the Lord has free course and which placed, and God blesses what we're doing. He can bless anywhere. I don't know if these idols ever seen the amount of people we had on our big day walk down. I know that baptism hasn't seen it in a long time. We ought to pray that the word of the Lord has free course in our Spanish ministry, in our bus ministry, in our military ministry, in our street preaching ministry, in our deaf ministry. And if I don't mention your ministry, forgive me. God, give your word free course in all our endeavors. I'm talking to some people in here tonight, and may I say this to you? A lot of our ministries are working. May I say this, and I'll go down alphabetically. The answers for the word Bible class needs to get the seed out of the barn. The Berean class needs to get the seed out of the barn. The couples for Christ class needs to get the seed out of the barn. The uh friendship class needs to get the seed out of the barn. The reclaimers class needs to get the seeds out of the barn. My wife's class needs to get the seed out of the barn. We should just not sit there and say I'm an adult Bible study. Great, glory to God, praise the Lord, hallelujah, amen. Get the seed out of the barn. In your own neighborhood, in your own place that you go. Get the seed out of the barn, because one of these days our time will be over. And you know and I know. Oh, if we only wouldn't, just a little bit more. I'm glad we're in a church when I preach like this, that everybody doesn't get offended and walk out and say, Well, let's go discuss the message. Discuss it in a positive way while you're at the altar. Amen? And let's all, and I mean me included, let's all make sure, hey, our teenagers are watching. Our young people are watching. We need to get the seat out of the barn. You used to, it's time to do it again. Five weeks till Easter. Come on out. Get involved with some special outreaches. Hey, you know what? It ought to not be arm twist in time. We're gonna go out and we're gonna give out some flyers. We're gonna give out the word of God. Would you please, pretty, please, go pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, please, would you come? You ought to say, man, here's an opportunity. The lady's soul winning the Thursday night. Or you know what? Go as a family. Maybe you can't come to the rest of the times we do. Go as a family. Get involved somewhere and go out and just, you know, just distribute some gospel tracts or something. And then rejoice that God's given us the freedom in this country to do so. And pray that the word of the Lord will have what?

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Free course.

SPEAKER_01 37:33

Free course. And by the way, God's honored his word. We don't get to see maybe the amount of people we'd like to see saved and all that, but brethren, we're still getting the word and getting the seed out of the barn. And by the way, we got the right seed. We could stand up and talk about our own salvation testimonies and so varied. But brethren, God didn't save us to do nothing. Many of you are working, many of you laboring. And you say, Man, I'm doing so much already. I'm talking about in your daily walk and your daily life. Put the seat out. Give it. After the services tonight, I'm gonna ask our ushers to do what we did this morning. And by the way, our morning crowd took just I don't know how many flyers, and we're gonna get them involved. And the foyer, the ushers will be there. Out this door, the ushers will be there. There'll be some of the yellow invitations to our Easter services. Why don't you take a stack full? Don't make paper airplanes out of them. Commit to give them out somewhere. The gospel's on there. You never can tell. What is that? It's just giving God's word out. Brethren, I'm not scolding you tonight. You're a tremendous church. You're a good church. You're a church that every preacher that comes in there, they'll go away and say, you got a good church preacher. And I'm not scolding you. But brethren, I'll tell you what. You know what keeps the spirit sweet in here? We're working for God. And when you work for God, you have a way that you can forbear other people more. You look at someone else, and man, they're a little irritating or something like that. Hey, but you know what? Let's pray that the word of the Lord has free course, and I'm not going to worry about that. God will take care of that. And up in heaven, I'm probably going to like that person anyways. Amen? And you stop focusing on, you know, this irritation or that irritation, and then all of a sudden that sweetness comes back into your home again, and you get excited and you're just not having roast church. You're saying, man, someone got saved. And let's go back and let's get back out there again. And by the way, five weeks till Easter. Let's pray that the word of the Lord has what? Say it. Free course. Because there is going to be an effectual open door, but many adversaries. It's going to happen. But greater is God, and He is great. And we ought to let Him have the opportunity. I make this statement, and I am finished. Look at it. Look at it, look at it. And don't get used to it. Those that resisted truth can make the word of the Lord bound, but brethren, what greater, greater. If God were to look at me and say, you knew. You preached it, but you didn't do it. You taught it, but you didn't do it. I wanted to use you to get the word of God out. But you bound it out.