YouTube video r7c6dlf7Xjk

[music] >> Well, good evening, church. It's good to see you tonight. Let's stand as we sing "To God Be the Glory." >> [music] >> To God >> [singing] >> be the glory, great things He has done.

So loved He >> [singing and music] >> the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life >> [singing and music] >> and atonement for sin, and and >> [singing] >> opened the light yet that all >> [music] >> may go in. Praise the Lord, >> [singing] >> praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice. >> [music and singing] >> Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, >> [music] >> let the people rejoice.

Oh, come >> [singing] >> to the Father through Jesus [music] the Son, and give Him the >> [singing] >> glory great things He has done. >> [singing and music] >> Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase [music] of >> [singing] >> love to every believer, the promise >> [music and singing] >> of God. The vilest offender who truly believes >> [singing] >> that moment from Jesus a pardon >> [music] >> receives.

Praise the Lord, >> [singing] >> praise the Lord, let [music] the earth hear His >> [singing] >> voice. Praise the Lord, praise [music] the Lord, let the people rejoice. Oh, >> [singing] >> come to >> [music] >> the Father through Jesus the Son, and >> [singing] >> give Him [music] the glory great things He has done.

>> [singing and music] >> Great things He hath done, great things He hath done, >> [singing and music] >> and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son. >> [music and singing] >> But glorier and higher and greater >> [singing and music] >> will be our wonder, our victory, >> [singing] >> when Jesus >> [singing and music] [singing and music] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [music and singing] [singing and music] [music] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [music and singing] [singing] [music] [singing] >> Are you thankful for that tonight? Give him praise.

Thank you. You may be seated. Well, amen.

Aren't you glad you're in the Lord's house tonight on a Wednesday evening? Well, our church family, it's good to see everybody here tonight and uh I tell I just love Wednesday nights when we just get together, get around the word of God, and just have a wonderful time of worship, which is what we're going to do this evening. But, we got a lot of things coming up here in the summertime.

We got VBS coming up. We're going to do something a little different this Saturday. This Saturday at 10:00, we're going to have a Vacation Bible School parade.

All right. So, if you would like to be a part of that, be here at the church at 10:00. We'll be leaving here.

Uh they're going to have ice cream. We're going to go through all the community here uh with golf carts and other things. And uh so, we going to be giving out flyers.

We're going to be giving out uh some ice cream for the kids and try to get as many as we can to get here for next week's Vacation Bible School. And so, please take note of that. If uh and I think that if you got a golf cart and you hadn't already been asked if you'd like to bring it, bring it on.

We'll decorate it and we'll get on the road. All right. And then, we're going to go in the community to let the kids know that we're here.

We're going to have something going on for us. Illumination Station is uh what we what our Vacation Bible School will be. And uh I don't know if you've been across the street, but it is decorated to the T.

Uh it's already getting ready for that. And so, we're looking forward to having a good time. It's still not too late to sign up.

There is a place for you somewhere in VBS if you'd like to be a part of that. So, you can still sign up there. So, please uh do that if you do if you'd like to.

If not, uh you know, well, see me or see Brother Jeff or someone in the you know, one of the leaders there in the VBS or our children's area and they'll be glad to get you going. All right. So, please take note of that if you will.

All right. The ladies are having a um Bible study. Uh myself and Liza is talking about uh so, it's going to be a seven session study.

And that's going to be uh starting in July the 12th through August the 23rd. Uh it starts at the 5:30 it looks like and to 7:00. So, ladies, if you would like to be a part of that, please sign up so they make sure they have all the materials ready.

And uh and have you know, just organize and get to everything planned. It's going to be a great time of uh I think um the ladies just the fellowship there, but learning more about the Bible together. And uh so, I think you'll enjoy that.

So, please take note of that if you will. And uh let's see, we have the uh the food of the month is canned fruit. So, if you will, there again, if you're in the grocery stores, you run by the fruit aisle, pick up a couple cans, bring them to church, and put them in the welcome center, and I'm sure uh brother Ricky and Miss Vicky would love to have those, and uh they'll be very appreciative of that.

So, please take note of that. Church of the week is is New Hope Baptist Church on uh we have the pastor there, uh Barry Burleson. So, please be much in prayer for that church.

Uh they one of our our small churches in our association, so they need our prayers. They need to know that we're all in this together, and that uh they have churches praying for them. So, if you will, uh please take note of that.

Frankie Millwood is our shut-in of the month, and I was able to see her last week, and uh it's a wonderful time of just fellowship and just talking with her, and uh she would love to have cards from you. So, if you will, in the welcome center, right right over here, uh we have cards. Shirley's got a really nice set up in there.

Uh just just take one of the cards, put it in for the church of the week, write a little note, put the name on the front of the envelope, uh and we'll make sure it gets addressed, and it gets mailed, and all that good stuff, and they'll get to that. So, please take note of that. And by the way, this coming Sunday is Father's Day, all right?

We've got a gift for all of our fathers, so we're not going to tell you what they are or all the men of the church, so you just got to come and find out and be surprised, all right? So, we'll hope to have you here, and uh and you know, try to get try to get uh everyone here that you possibly can. We're going to have a great time.

Uh I'm looking forward to uh this week's Father's Day service. So, please take note of that if you will. And uh continue be much in prayer for uh Lee Lee Stevens passed away this past Monday, and uh so please be much much in prayer for him and his family.

Uh found out this evening they're going to have a service here the church, so you can put it on your calendar July the 2nd. I think that's Thursday at 4:30 in the evening. So, uh, if you will, uh, please take note of that, uh, but uh, be much in prayer for the for the, uh, Lease family there.

All right? And, uh, also, um, brother Less, we had the funeral for Miss Barbara here this afternoon and, uh, he's, uh, he's going to need your prayers. He really is.

So, y'all be much in much in prayer for brother Less. I appreciate, uh, the Sunday school class that came and and being a part of the service. Uh, had a good turnout there, so we appreciate that.

Uh, so continue to be much in prayer for our pastor. He's getting around a little bit. I I don't want to push it.

Uh, doesn't go back to the doctor until the, uh, around July the 1st or 2nd week in July. So, be but be much in prayer for him as he heals so that he can come back and, uh, and be ready to preach and and be ready to minister to us. So, we're looking forward to that for him doing that.

Uh, and also found out that, uh, I think it was, uh, Phyllis Quinn, uh, uh, had surgery uh, today and I just found that out, so I did not get to know did not know that. If you guys, I I will encourage you. I I don't care if three or four or five people tells me.

If you know somebody's having surgery, please let me know. All right? And, uh, so I cuz I hate to miss people.

So, please let me know that. But, let's be much in prayer for them. I'll be checking on her when we uh, get out of here.

So, uh, so let's, uh, let's go to the Lord in prayer remembering her in prayer and these that have been mentioned and there's others that are uh, surgeries are coming up and um, there's just things that's going on in people's lives that, uh, you know, God knows what they are. And, uh, so we're church family and the Bible tells us to pray for one another. And we're going to pray for one another.

And I want to also pray for brother Roland. I ask him again, I I say this all the time, but I jokingly, but ask him if he had enough money for me to say anything good about him. Uh, tell you how old he is, though.

He sang at our wedding. Didn't you? Huh?

I was 50 almost 52 years ago, but I hear that you and Carol is going to be married 68 years this coming Monday. This past Monday. So it's So you're working on 69 years now.

Oh, wow. Amen. God God bless you, brother.

He's going to be bringing the message this evening. So let's let's be much in prayer for him and and you just pray that God will just speak to our hearts. All right, let's go to the Lord in prayer.

Father, what a thrill it is, Lord, to be in your house on a Wednesday evening. God, we thank you for our church family, for everyone that's here, Lord. It's It's It's just It's just good to be around God's people.

Especially our church our church family. Lord, you know brother Lee's father, his family. Be much in prayer for him.

I mean, for the family there, Lord, and uh and just be with them. Let them feel your presence and continue to be with brother Les, Father. He needs your prayers.

He needs your strength, Lord, and he said told me today he's planning on coming to church Sunday. So Lord, [music] just be much in prayer for him. And we just lift him up to you, Father.

These others our our youth are back, Lord. We're grateful for having them back and and Lord, sound like they had a a good mission trip. Looking forward to hearing a little bit about that this coming Sunday, [music] Father.

Father's Day this coming Sunday, Lord. You got so much so many things, Lord, that uh uh Vacation Bible School, Lord, we lift them up to you and So Lord, we're just looking forward to having a wonderful summer here at Calvary. But uh Lord, just let us just be where we need to be and uh be serving where we need to be serving, God, >> [music] >> and we'll praise your name.

Thank you again for our our our praise team, our musicians, Lord, our sound media, everyone everything that makes this service, Lord, >> [music] >> uh bring glory and honor to you. Again, we lift our pastor up that you'll just be with him and and Lord, continue to strengthen him. >> [music] >> And again, we'll praise your name and glorify your name.

For it's in Jesus' name we do pray. Again, all God's people said Amen. Amen.

Just want to remind you that next week with vacation Bible School going on, we will not be meeting here next Wednesday. So, there will be no Bible study next week, okay? Let's stand as we sing I am covered by his blood.

Oh, sing it out. I am [music and singing] covered covered covered by his blood. Walking by faith, living in love, I am covered covered >> [music] >> covered by his blood.

Jesus has rescued me. I am [music and singing] covered covered covered by his blood. Walking by faith, living [music and singing] in love, I am covered covered covered by his blood.

>> [music and singing] >> Jesus has rescued me. What can wash [music] away [singing] my sin? Nothing but the blood [music] of Jesus.

What [singing] can make me whole again? >> [music] >> Nothing but the blood [singing] of Jesus. Oh, precious >> [music] >> is the flow that makes [singing] me white as snow.

No >> [singing] >> other fountain I know. Nothing but [singing and music] the blood of Jesus. For my >> [music and singing] >> pardon this I sing, nothing Nothing of >> [singing] >> Jesus [music] for my cleansing this my plea.

Nothing but the blood >> [singing and music] >> of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow >> [music] [singing] >> that makes me white as snow. No >> [singing] >> other fountain I know.

Nothing but the blood >> [music and singing] >> of Jesus. This is [singing and music] all my hope and peace. Nothing but the blood >> [music and singing] >> of Jesus.

This is all my righteousness. >> [music and singing] >> Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, >> [singing] >> precious >> [music] >> is the flow that makes me white as snow.

[music and singing] No other [singing] fountain I >> [music] >> know. Nothing but the blood >> [singing] >> of Jesus. >> So, are you thankful for the blood of Jesus tonight?

Give him praise. Miss Sherry, she's going to play a piano solo for us at this time and then brother Roland, you come and preach to us tonight. >> [music] >> Mhm.

>> This is the first time I've preached in 4 years. I've had the opportunity, but I haven't taken advantage of it. And I want to thank Brother Reggie for allowing me to fill this great pulpit behind all of these great preachers that we have here at Calvary Baptist Church tonight.

I calculated over there a few minutes ago. I've served two churches 47 years. And I calculated that I've preached more than 7,000 sermons.

We always had three services at our churches. 7,000 and not counting funerals and revivals. But it's like I told my wife and Terry a few minutes ago, I got the jitters.

The little boy just kept on acting up. His daddy told him, he said, "Boy, if you don't get straightened up, I'm going to take you out and beat you." He kept acting up. People around him knew what was happening.

He said, "Boy, I'm going to tell you one more time. If you don't quit acting up, I'm going to take you out and beat you within an inch of your life." He kept on acting up. Finally, his daddy threw him over his shoulder, went out and started to the door, and he said to the people around him, "Now, y'all pray for me." So, with my voice I gave out 4 years ago, my sweetheart and I both lost our voice at the same time.

Somebody said, "Was you hollering at each other?" No. We sung together, and I preached, and uh we just both lost our voices about the same time. So, I told Brother Rogers, "Now, you remember I told you if I get to where I can't uh speak, you're going to have to jump to it, buddy.

Get with it." Book of Jonah, turn with me, please, to the Book of Jonah. I want to talk with you for a few minutes tonight on a subject that's dear to my heart. You remember I had a chance to speak at prayer meeting once, and I preached uh spoke about witnessing intentionally.

You may remember that. Witnessing intentionally. I The older I get, the more I realize that when we stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, the rewards that we receive is not going to be for the money we gave to the church or the time we spent in worship.

But I believe the rewards will be because of individuals that we won to him and brought with us to heaven to the throne of God. Witnessing. Did you know that less than 5% of the people Baptist members in our Baptist churches have ever won one soul to the Lord?

Do you realize that? Less than 5% of the members ever won any person to the Lord. Now, the doors are shut.

This is Wednesday night, nobody here but the family. That's what we are. We're the family.

And I you know, when you're at home with the family, that's where you take your shoes off and loosen your tie. Of course, that's no problem to some of you. But I wear a tie a lot.

Uh it's a good thing. I wear a tie a lot. Been wearing a tie since I was 12 years old.

I'm 86 today and I'm not going to quit now. I My my brother gave me a pair of green pajamas years and years ago and he gave me a red tie to go with my green pajamas. He said, "I know you must wear a tie at night cuz I've never seen you without one." Book of Jonah, chapter 1, verse 1.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me. But, Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare, and went down into the ship with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Now, here in these verses, and I'll read some more in a moment, but during this time that Jonah is trying to run from the Lord, he's running out, he's found out, he's thrown out, he's spit out, and he speaks out, and when we see him at the end, he is hiding out. So, if you'll look at verse 10, chapter 3, then God saw their works, that the people of Nineveh turned from their evil way, and God relented from the disaster that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it. And then, chapter 4, verse 1, it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.

Bow with me in prayer. Precious Lord Jesus, thank you for these good people here tonight. Thank you that you've saved us.

We're born again. We're a part of your family. But we realize we are not perfect and we haven't done what you've told us to do in most cases.

So you help us tonight as we think about our lives and we think about the time we'll spend before you in an examination of the deeds done in the body. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name.

And the people said Amen. Amen. Now let me ask you a question.

How long have you been saved? Don't don't uh you don't have to punch in wife or your husband or say anything, but how long have you been saved? Answer that.

And then do you know anyone tonight who is not a Christian? Answer that. Put that person on your mind.

Do you know anyone who is not a Christian? Well, if you believe what Brother Reggie teaches us, you know that there's only two places for an individual to go in eternity. To heaven or to hell.

If you know a person tonight who is not a Christian, they've never been born again. That person, whether it be your friend or your family member, whether it be your neighbor, regardless of who it is, think about it. If they aren't going to heaven, they're going to hell.

And it just might be that you're the only one that has a word to get reach their heart and appeal to them to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about it. You may be the only hope that person has.

Obedience. You and I have obeyed God. We came to faith in Jesus.

First Baptist Church, Great Falls, South Carolina, April 1950. I was 10 years old. I walked down the aisle and was baptized the following Sunday on uh uh in April of 1950.

That's been a long long long time ago. I gave my life to Jesus. You can think about a time when you committed your life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, listen. I have a relationship with Jesus. But fellowship's another thing.

Are you listening? We can have a relationship with God, a relationship with the Lord Jesus, and be out of fellowship with him. We see that right here in the book of Jonah.

We may be in fellowship with the church. We may be doing everything we can for the church. But if we aren't obeying the Lord Jesus Christ, we're out of fellowship.

And when it comes to soul winning, when it comes to reaching others for the glory of God, most of us are out of fellowship. In fact, they're Most people don't win folks to Jesus because they haven't tried. They have reasons they haven't tried.

I had a lady to join Inspiration Church. We began Inspiration Church in the year 2000. Sally Brown joined our church.

Two or three weeks later, we carried our seniors to Florida. Sally's husband, John, brought her to the bus and was always sitting there waiting for her when we returned. I asked Sally, I said, "Sally, is John saved?" She said, "Preacher, he's so private, I don't know whether he is or not." They'd been married 40 years.

She said, "He's so pri- private, I don't know whether he's saved or not." Well, all that week down at Florida, my heart was burdened for John Brown, her husband. When I got back with that old bus, I drove 425 mi from Daytona to Rock Hill, and I unloaded the bus, all of the suitcases and so forth. My wife and I loaded up our little duds, and I started toward the house.

I said, "Carol, I can't go home. I'm going to find out if John will let me come talk him. I called and he said, "Come on." I went to their house.

John and I sat down on the steps. Carol took his wife on in the house. It wasn't too long.

John prayed the sinner's prayer with me, 72 years old. Prayed the sinner's prayer with me. And I said, "John, 72 years old, why have you waited so long to give your heart to Jesus?" He said, "Preacher, nobody Are you listening to me?" He said, "Nobody has ever told me how to be saved." Now, he's got a son and a daughter in other churches, and he's got a wife here that's been in church for 40 years, and nobody, 72 years old, ever told him how to be saved.

I baptized him and Sally in a pool in the spring of 2000. And for 10 years, he was one of the most faithful workers and members we had at Inspiration Church. Here, Jonah has been told by God that there's a whole city, Nineveh.

Nineveh has wickedness to the point that God has to act. And he says to Jonah, "I want you to go, preach to those people." And instead of going to Nineveh, he went west to Tarshish. He went from the presence of the Lord.

Why? Because the Ninevites and the Assyrians were enemies to each other. And Jonah didn't want to see those people repent.

He had reasons of his own that he could use to keep him from doing what God told him to do. But my friend, when you and I stand before the Lord, we're not going to have any excuses for why we let a neighbor go to hell or why we let a close friend go to hell or why we let one of our children go to hell. Are you listening to me?

This is a serious matter. When you know someone that is not a Christian and that is not going to heaven if they die today, you and I are responsible for their salvation. At least we can try.

Think about it. Is it It's right here. Jonah got mad.

God relented. The people repented. And Jonah got mad because the Assyrians repented and put on sackcloth and ashes.

Many people know they need to witness and yet for one reason or another, they have not done it. It's our responsibility to obey God and to obey the word. And it's God's responsibility to draw that person in if he'll come.

It's not your responsibility. Jonah said, "Lord, reason I didn't want to go is because I knew you were merciful. I knew you were kind.

I knew you were tenderhearted. I knew that you, Lord, uh if were slow to anger and quick to forgive. And Lord, I knew that if I went and preached and you did what I thought you were going to do, they'd think I was a fool preaching yet 40 years, 40 days, and Nineveh's going to be destroyed, well, they'd think I was a fool." You see, too many of us think about our own selves rather than the person that we're trying to win.

Don't worry about what anybody says about you. You do what God wants you to do, and God'll bless you for it whether the person gets saved or not, whether he bows his head or not is not your responsibility. But it is our responsibility to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in.

You say, "Well, preacher, said I got a lot of people I invite to church." Let me tell you something about lost people. Lost people don't have any interest in singing Amazing Grace and when we all get to heaven. Think about it.

Lost people don't have any interest to come to church because their spirit is not with the spirit of God, and they're out of place when they come to church. But if you tell them about Jesus and they receive him as their savior, they'll want to sing about the grace of God. Hallelujah.

They'll want to sing about that blood that washes clean and white as snow. Hallelujah. >> That's right.

Amen. >> Think about it. Think about it.

>> Amen. >> Think about it. Jonah prayed.

Chapter 4, verse 2. He prayed to the Lord. But he is mad at God.

You remember that? He was trying to run from the presence of the Lord in verse in in the third verse of chapter 1. Can you really pray when you're mad?

Do you know anyone tonight that you're mad with? Well, let me tell you how to get cured. Get down on your knees and start praying for them.

I guarantee you you won't be mad for long. You can't pray to God with a mad spirit and a mean spirit. If you're a man of God or woman of God, try it.

But Jonah, he prayed. He said, "Lord, I want you just take my life. I want you to just kill me." He had good reason.

He like Paul knew that God had a place for him in heaven. And he didn't feel good about being here on earth. He is he is mad with God about delivering the people of Nineveh.

I know that you're a merciful God, Jonah said. And I know that you are easy to forgive and slow to anger. And I just didn't want to preach, and when I did, you did exactly what I thought you'd do.

Lord, you're gracious and merciful, and you're slow to anger, and you're abundant in loving kindness and ready to forgive and turn from judgment. Listen to me. The person you need to witness to, you remember what I'm telling you that God is.

God will honor your witness and perhaps even save that individual that you're thinking about tonight. He's Listen. He He's more interested in saving that person than you are to go and tell him about him.

Carol and I a few weeks ago were at Anna J's. We eat breakfast there six days a week. I came went to the restroom to wash my teeth.

I know I'm talking to home folks here. I guarantee you. I'm talking to home folks.

I came back to the table and Carol said, Roland said, "The man up there at the counter paid our ticket. He got our ticket, and he paid for it." Said, "You ought to thank him." I jumped up from the table. I went over there, and I introduced myself to him.

I don't remember his last name. His first name was Ray. Fine looking black gentleman.

Fine looking dressed to tea. And I never seen him before and I haven't seen him since. I said, "My name's Rowland Dry." I said, "I want to thank you for paying for our meal." I said, "By the way, are you a Christian?" He said, "Sir, my family and I go to church about every Sunday, but I'm not a Christian." I told him about Jesus and how Jesus loved him.

Now, we're standing in line. Wait Others are waiting for us to get out of there and they can get pay their ticket. But I started talking to him and there was a there was a hush that came over that Glory to God.

There was a hush that came over that place like you wouldn't believe. And when I finished telling that man about Jesus, 2 minutes or less, we prayed together the sinner's prayer. And when he received the Lord as his savior, he said to me, he said, "Give me that little tract." And there's some on the wall on the wall out there if you if you want to get you some.

2 minutes or less. He said, "Give me that little tract." He said, "I'm going home and tell my wife what you told me." Hallelujah to God. Praise His name.

That man received Jesus as his savior. Listen to me. You say, "Preacher, he may not have followed through on that." It's not my responsibility.

Not my responsibility. God's responsible for him. But I'm responsible to do what God had me to do.

And thank God I took advantage of it. And that man, if he was sincere, as a part of the family of God tonight, just as much as I am, or just as much as you are. Amen.

Do you know this wonderful Lord that I'm talking about? Surely there's not anybody here that's lost in this building. If you are, please let one of us talk with you before you leave and receive him as your savior.

Don't be married to the church, be related to the Lord Jesus Christ. He'll save you just like he saved that boy. God is slow to anger, but he's good to forgive, quick to forgive.

Why despise such a God as that? Jonah makes a foolish request. He says, "Lord, kill me.

Just take my life." Some would rather die. Jonah would rather die than see Nineveh get saved. He would rather die than see his enemies come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

You remember Paul said, "To depart and to be with Christ is better." It takes faith to die knowing that God has a place reserved for us in heaven. Somebody said and I like it, "You won't ever get to heaven up there until you get some heaven down here." Come on. Oh, how sweet to walk with Jesus down here.

Never get any heaven up there until you get some heaven in your heart down here. You remember the older brother and the prodigal son story. His daddy looked for his his boy about every day.

The older brother probably spoke harshly to his daddy. Daddy, why don't you just quit looking for that boy? Why don't you quit looking for him?

He's not coming back. He's dead. If he's not dead, he's not coming back.

He's living in sin and there's no need for you to worry about him anymore. The daddy might say something kindly like, "I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep looking down that road.

And one day he saw him coming. And that older brother, when he came back to the house after being out in the field, heard the dancing and the music and the singing. And one of the servants said, "Your brother that was dead is alive and has come home and they're killed the fatted calf and they're having a banquet." He said, "Well, I ain't going in.

I'm going to go out here in the field." His daddy ran out the door and said, "Son, where are you going? Come in here. Your brother's home.

Let's eat together, fellowship together, and let's be happy." Oh, I said, "No. I've been serving you. I've been obeying you, but you never did kill a fatted calf for me, and I'm mad about it, just like Jonah was.

And his daddy said, "Son, I I divided the estate. Everything here belongs to you. It's already been divided.

Come and fellowship with my brother with with my son, and all of us together." Don't think he ever did. Bible doesn't say he did. And here's Jonah.

Jonah could have been in the palace of the king of Nineveh. Think about it. But instead, he went up on the hill, built himself a little shelter, and pouted because God saved the entire city of 120,000-plus individuals.

Jonah went up, built him a shelter, and pouted about it. And God allowed a gourd to grow overnight. And the gourd rose up next day to shelter Jonah, give him shelter, and to make him feel a little better.

But it didn't last long. God sent a worm to kill the gourd. And Jonah was right back where he started.

You see, his watchfulness was to sit out there under the shelter, and he longed to see the Ninevites go through what Sodom and Gomorrah went through. He just thought he'd be able to see the city burn. Instead, from the king on down to the smallest one, king took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and ashes, and they all had a revival in Nineveh.

120,000 plus. Jonah could have been in the palace with the king. That elder brother could have been in the fellowship with his brother and in his daddy, but he'd rather pout.

He'd rather be mad than to enjoy the fellowship of those around him. And my friends, listen. God wants you and me to fellowship with him.

He says, "I'm knocking on your heart's door. If you'll just open your heart's door, I'll come in and fellowship with you. You can fellowship with me, and we'll enjoy each other's company.

And you bring in the sheaves, those that are lost without God. You tell them about the story of the blood that washes white as snow, and we'll all fellowship together." We used to sing, We used to sing when I led music years ago, "Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves." The Bible says the ones that win souls are wise.

Hallelujah to the glory of God. My friends, Jesus took 12 boys, and one of them was a devil, so he had 11 to work with, and they turned the world upside down. Let me tell you, what could we do here at Calvary Baptist Church if every one of us brought somebody in between now and the 1st of the year or in the next month to the baptismal waters.

Oh, hallelujah. Listen to me. We could have revival in our heart and give revival to hundreds of others that need to hear the gospel tonight.

When my soul was distressed, when my soul was disturbed with sorrow, when my heart was burdened with sin, Jesus opened his arms of mercy and tenderly took me in. God built a letter gourd grow to give Jonah comfort. You and I have the shadow of the cross tonight.

Glory to God. If we'll stay in the shadow of the cross, it'll not only give us comfort, but it'll take away our grief, and it'll take away our sorrow, and our sadness, and we can fellowship with him. In 1974, June of 1974, when I came to Sisk Memorial Church in Rock Hill, one of the men I was able to talk with and win to the Lord was the city drunk.

He was one of the city drunks. Ken Sloan was his name. And if there's anybody here related to him, I'll tell you, Ken Sloan was my friend.

Received Jesus as his He was a welder. Been over 2 years since they'd had a baptism in the church over there, Sisk Memorial. Had a 200 uh 1,250 gallon baptistry made out of metal, and there was holes all in it.

It leaked like the rain. Ken Sloan was a welder. He brought a portable weld welder in and patched all those holes.

I had 20 to baptize in June of 1974, and Ken Sloan was one of the first, the city drunk. When I baptized him that on Sunday night, his brother Jim Sloan came to see his brother, the town drunk. Glory to God.

Came to see his brother baptized. Filled out a card that he didn't have a church home. On Monday morning, I went looking for Jim Sloan.

Went to the house. His wife came to the door. Her name was Naomi.

I said, "Ma'am, I've come to see Jim. Is he home?" And before she told me where he was, she said, "I'll tell you right now. I am a Church of God, and I am not ever going to be a Baptist.

And I want you to know" I said, "Ma'am, please forgive me, but I didn't come see you. I came to see Jim." I said, "Is he your husband?" She said, "Yeah." I said, "How long y'all been married?" She said, "35 years." I said, "Well, he put on his card that he's not a Christian." He ain't. I said, "Well, I want to talk with him about it." So, she told me where Jim was.

He was in the garden about mile or 2 miles away. I went to the garden. It was fresh plowed.

He came over, parked his tractor, took his hat off, and spit out his tobacco. I'm glad he didn't spit at me cuz it was big as a baseball. I'm telling you.

Spit out his backer. I said, "Jim, I've come to tell you about Jesus." And you know what he said? He said, "I've been expecting you." "Come on." He said, "I've been expecting you." Wasn't too long that Jim and I knelt in that fresh plowed garden.

He received Jesus as his savior. And as long as I was at Sisk Memorial 25 years, Jim Sloan was one of the best members we had. But now, let me tell you the rest of the story.

A year later, I looked out there and sitting with the Jim was Naomi. After service, I was beginning a new members class the next Sunday, and she came up and said, "Can I come to that new members class you're having starting next week?" I said, "You sure can." And at the beginning of every class, I always ask why you came to Sisk Memorial Church. And so, that Sunday morning, she was there.

She said, "Let me tell you why I'm here." She said, "A year ago, my husband walked down the aisle of this church, went to the baptistery, and said, 'I want you to know that God has made such a difference in my husband's life.' I had to come up here and find out what y'all teach in here." She joined our church, I baptized her, and what the rest of my 25 years, 24 years, 23 years, Jim and Naomi were some of the best members that church has. I'm telling you these things. I could tell you other things, but you have a story.

You have a person that you can tell about Jesus, and if you will, he'll never leave you nor forsake you. Little girl came home from church, and her mama wasn't a believer. Little girl told her mama, said, "Mama, I found out today at church that Jesus watches over me day and night, all day and all night." And her unbelieving mother said, "Honey, doesn't that make you feel uneasy to know you His eyes are on you all the time?" Said, "No, Mama.

He loves me so much, he can't take his eyes off of me. Hallelujah. Listen, he loves you so much that he'll be with you.

He'll guide you. And let me tell you something else. He loves that person you're thinking about that's not a Christian, too.

You hear me? Jonah was a Jew. The Assyrians in Nineveh, they were not Jewish.

Jonah thought that God only had him and his people in his circle. But God had the Ninevites in the circle as well. His love reaches a lot further than your love or my love.

And his love will reach the person that you need to witness to. Arthur Smith wrote a song years ago. Not my will, thine be done.

Prayed Jesus. Let this same prayer be mine every day. When this robe of flesh that I wear makes me falter, guide my feet, hold my hand all the way.

Second Peter 3 and 9 says, look at it with me. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us. What does it say?

Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God help us. God help us to follow him and get in fellowship with his will.

Pray with me. Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you for the word from Jonah.

And thank you for the word from the elder brother of the prodigal. Thank you for Peter and what he tells us that God is not slack concerning his promise but is willing and ready to save anyone who'll come. And bow at the knee of Jesus.

I thank you in Jesus' name and the people of God said amen and amen and amen. God help us to get on with it.