7-29-26 Wednesday Evening Worship - 6:30 p.m.

[music] Well, good evening [music] church. It's good to see you tonight. Let's stand as we sing Love Lifted Me.

Oh, sing out now. Here we go. I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful [music and singing] shore very deeply within seeking to rise [singing and music] no more but the master of the sea from my [singing] despair from [music] the waters lifted me now [singing] [music] [singing] [music] when to hell.

Love me. Love [singing and music] me. Love me.

[singing] When [music] I begin to help, love lifted [music] me. All my heart feel my need. Ever [music and singing] to him I'll be in his presence.

>> [music] >> Ever his praise is sing. [singing] Love so mighty and so true. My soul's my song.

Faithful [singing and music] service to him. He loveed [music and singing] me. Love me.

[music] When God belongs to him, [singing] love me. Love [music] me. Love me [music] when nothing [singing] lifted me.

[singing and music] Souls and danger above. [music] Jesus. [singing] He will lift you by his own out of the angry waves.

[singing and music] He's the master of the sea. closes [music and singing] away. He your savior wants to lead you sed [music and singing] when I belong to him.

Love [music and singing] me. Love me. Love [music] me.

When [singing] nothing else could help [music] love lifted me, [singing] Father, we [music] love you. We worship and adore you. Glorify thy name in [music] all the earth.

[singing] >> [music] >> Glorify [singing] thy [music] name. Glorify [singing] thy name. Glorify [singing and music] thy name in all the earth.

[music] Jesus we [singing and music] love you. We worship and adore [music] you. Glorify [singing] thy [music] name in all the [singing] earth.

Glorify thy name. Glorify thy name. [singing and music] Glorify thy name in all [music and singing] the earth.

Spirit we love [singing] you. [music] We worship and adore [singing] you. Glorify [music] thy name in all the [singing and music] earth.

[music] Glorify [singing] thy name. [music] Glorify thy name. Glorify [singing] thy name in all the earth.

Sing that little chorus [singing] again. Glorify thy [singing] name. Glorify [singing] thy [music] name.

Glorify [singing] thy name [music] in all [singing] the earth. [music] That's what we're here to do tonight. To give him praise.

Let's give him praise. >> Thank you. May be seated >> again.

Aren't you glad? >> Oh my goodness. What a wonderful time of worship glorifying the name of Jesus.

Amen. Good to have everybody here this evening. I tell you, lots of going on.

Summer is kind of slowing down. I know that everybody is excited especially in here of everybody going back to school because I saw the kids. But uh it be much in prayer for our teachers and our children that are going back to school.

We had special prayer for them Sunday, but uh continue to remember them if you will. Uh but I I know they're going to be excited and a lot of things are going on, but we have a lot of things going on here at the church and uh place for you to serve, place for you to go and fellowship. So, we're going to go over just a little bit of those things.

This coming uh Sunday, we're gonna uh let's I'm sorry, Saturday, we're going to have a breakfast. And so please uh men uh please take note of that. August the 1st, that's this Saturday, we'll be having a breakfast here at the church.

So please try to be here if you can. 8 o'clock in the morning. And so we'll have a good time.

I know there'll be plenty of good breakfast food. And so please come bring a friend and bring your bring your stomachs, hungry stomachs. And we're going to have a good time of uh food and fellowship.

All right. So that's August the 1. And also this coming Sunday, all the children across the street will be moving up to their new classes.

It's pro what we call promotion Sunday. So the children and young people will be moving up. So please uh you know remind them of this Sunday.

Some of them went up this past Sunday to see their classrooms. Uh but uh that's going to happen this coming Sunday morning. So please take note of that if you will.

And also the Aana clubs. Next week we were relaunching our our wana clubs beginning that be starting on them back next Sunday on the next Wednesday night. So please uh you got your kids and got got children around in the neighborhood and you your friends with them invite them to AAS.

Uh I'm looking forward to having a great year in AAS this year. So please that's going to start next Wednesday at um at 6:15 here at church. And then we got several things coming on August the 16th.

The whistenants are going to be with us. uh they'll be h having the service on Sunday morning. So, we're going to have a great time of worship uh and just see what God does.

And so, please put that on your calendar, invite somebody that you know, and uh we'll again we want to have a a full house so that we can just worship together and just praise the Lord together there. But that'll be August 16th. So, please take note of that.

Over here to my left to your right there, you have the boxes. Some of them have already been taken, but that's the magi boxes that that Dave and Melanie and uh Preacher Beer down in Mexico, they give out every Christmas to the children. And uh I know that Dave will be coming here at the middle of September, somewhere along there.

September 6th, somewhere along in there. Uh but he'll I'm sure he's got a video and he'll share some of those uh children getting those boxes. And that is so so neat to know that those boxes that they have that they give out that we gave to them.

And so if you will come over here and get two or three of them and uh bring them back the I think September 6 is the deadline. Uh so uh please uh that'll be on a Sunday morning and uh Dave will be with us on that Wednesday evening. So please take note of that and we're going to have a great great time of fellowship.

All right. And uh and like I say this when I say fellowship, this is a good time of just getting together as a church body and and u being a part of missions down in Mexico. Angie's retreat is going to fill up fast.

Always does. So, if you would like to be on that, uh the information there is in the bulletin and uh that's going to be um you know, they have that every year. They're going to go back to the beach this year.

Is that correct, uh Miss Tina? They're going to be back at the beach and they're going to have my understanding have a really nice house down there. So, they're going to have a great time.

So, if you would like to be a part of that, need to sign up online. All right. So, please take note of that if you will.

Angie's retreat for 2027 there. All right. And the item of the month for our food pantry is canned soups and dish detergents.

So, please uh take note of that. Of course, we're still in in July. It'll be a little bit different next month.

Next month, but for this coming Sunday, if you will, canned soups, dish detergents, that'll be great. Just pick up an extra one as you go by. And I know they would really appreciate.

Vicki and Ricky would appreciate that. Our church of the week is Oakdale Baptist Church. And so, uh, be much in prayer for brother Joey De's out there.

And, uh, just let him know again that, uh, we're we're behind him. We're together with him as we serve the Lord together. You notice we have a lot of, uh, a lot of things going on here.

Nell Watson is our shut into the month. I spoke to her last night and she she loves to get the cards. Thank you for the cards already.

And uh, but uh, it's not over yet. If you have not yet sent her sent her one, please uh, in the welcome center over there. Shirley has a really nice setup over there.

you familiar with it. Just get a card, put her name on it, put a little encouraging note there and put an envelope. We will mail it and address it, mail it and make sure it gets to her along also with brother Joy De's.

All right. Uh Peggy Turner had surgery yesterday and she's home doing well. I talked to her a little bit ago.

Of course, the day after surgery, she's in pain, a little bit of pain there. So, be much in prayer for her. Mickey, my mother-in-law, came home from the hospital after 11 days stay.

She is doing she is doing fairly well to be be be uh in the hospital that long. So continue to remember her in prayer. And um let's see.

I think there there's one more that I had written down but I can't remember who it was. But the the Lord Yes. Uh Brother Ray is is home and uh he actually started back to work yesterday a little bit but uh be much in prayer for him as he still recovers there.

All right. And so, um, let's just go to the Lord in prayer now and just join our hearts together, if you will, Father, as we come to you, Lord, we're so grateful for the time that we can come together and just, uh, just get together as a church family and at this time, Lord, just bring our hearts together and and Lord, each one of us has somebody that we know that's [music] that's hurting, Father, whether it's financially, whether it's physically, but Lord, we also know that there's some people that are lost And Lord, [music] we want to lift those up to you this evening. Lord, we thank you that we have a heavenly father who loves us, cares for [music] us, and Lord, will help us to share that gospel with those that we know that's lost.

Lord, give us the courage, give us the time, give [music] us the opportunity to share Jesus with those around us. And Lord, these that have been in the hospital and and brother Charlie Ferrell, Father, he's in rehab. Be much in prayer for him.

and and Lord, we [music] just uh lift our church family up to you with all the needs and and the the ailments, Lord, and the the pains and and of course the just the circumstances [music] of life. We thank you that we have a father who loves us, [music] who cares about us, who will lift us up and be with us through anything that we go through. Thank you again, Father.

Now, be with us tonight. We continue to worship, Lord. Uh just [music] a little bit ago, we were worshiping, raising our hands up to you, Lord.

Let us [music] get our minds and hearts focused and back to worship now. Thank you for those across the street, our children, our youth leaders, Lord, and our youth and [music] all the leaders over there and bro and our pastor here this morning, this evening, Father. Just give [music] him the power that he needs, the strength that he needs, Lord, and and just ease that pain, Father, that that it will not be [music] there as he preaches the word of God to us.

We'll praise your name for that. be with our sound, our media, musicians, Lord, praise team, every aspect. May everything that we do tonight bring glory to you and you only, Father, in Jesus name we pray.

And all God's people said, "Amen. Narrow as the road may seem, I'll follow where your [music] spirit leads. Broken as my life may be, I will give you everything.

I hear you call. [music] I am available. [music] I say yes Lord I am [music] abable.

Here I [singing and music] am with open hands counting on your grace [music] again. Blessing me and more of you. >> [music] >> I just want to see you move.

I hear you call. [music] I am available. [music] I say [music] yes Lord I am available.

[singing and music] I hear you call I am unavailable [music] I say. Yes, Lord. I am [singing] available.

[music] Here I am. Here I am. You can have it all.

You can have it all. Here I am. [music] Here I am.

You can have it all. [music] You can have it all. [music] For [music] the one who gave me life.

Nothing [music] is a sacriice. Use me how [music] you want to God. Have your throne within my heart.

I hear I hear you call. I am available. [music] I say yes Lord [music] I am available.

[music] Let's continue our worship tonight as we sing, "What a mighty God we serve. What a mighty [singing and music] God we serve. What a mighty God we [music] serve.

[singing] Angels bow before him. Heaven and earth adore him. What a mighty [singing and music] God we serve.

What a mighty [singing and music] God we serve. What a mighty God [music] we serve. [singing] Angels bow before him.

Heaven [music] and earth [singing] adore him. What a mighty God we serve. Great [singing and music] is thy faithfulness.

Oh [singing] God my father. [music] There is no [singing] shadow [music] of turning with thee. Thou changest not.

[singing] Thy compassions they [music] fail not as [singing] thou has thou forever [music] [singing] wilt. Great is thy faithfulness. Great is thy [music and singing] thankfulness.

Morning by morning, new [singing] mercies [music] I see. All I have in my hand have broke thy [singing and music] head. Great is thy faithfulness poured [singing] unto [music] me.

Summer [singing] and [music] winter and springtime and harvest. Sun, [singing and music] moon, and stars in their horses [music] above. [singing] Join with all in [singing and music] witness to thy great faithfulness, [music] [singing] mercy and love.

Great is [music and singing] thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. [music] Morning [singing] by morning, new [music] mercies I see.

All I have [music and singing] in thy hand and all thy name. Great [singing] is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. pardon for sin and the peace that endureth.

[singing] Thy [music] give presence to cheer [singing] and to guide. [music] Strength for today [music] and bright [singing] hope for tomorrow. Blessings [singing and music] are mine with 10,000 beside.

Great [music and singing] is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. [music] Morning [singing] my morning.

Your mercies I see. All I have made and thy and have known thy name. [singing and music] Great is thy faithfulness [music and singing] to me.

>> Amen. Church, thank you. You may be seated.

>> All right. Thank you, Jim, for that clap. [laughter] Sometimes it might be all of us need to.

Amen. Well, I'm glad you're here tonight. Acts chapter number 20.

Uh we have been here. This is going to be our fourth um lesson um on this chapter. So, I really don't have to uh take a a lot of time on reminding you that again, it's the Apostle Paul that we're looking at and and he was uh going away from the uh region of Ephesus, the the leadership he had gathered together and and the Apostle Paul again knew that he would he would not see them anymore.

that um his time was short and his days was few. So he knew that um he would not see them again. But he wanted to leave them some to me words of encouragement to me uh words of of instruction and again that he was reminding them about you know just as we just sang that aren't you glad that God is faithful >> Monday through Sunday 24 hours a day seven days a week God never fails But Paul is encouraging them on being faithful to the Lord.

Um, don't don't you think if God is faithful to us that we should be faithful to him? And I believe that tonight. And that's what Paul is trying to to teach us.

And remember that the first time that we looked at this passage that we dealt with um just a foundation and and we looked at three things that need to be part of everybody's life. And we looked at the presence of the Holy Spirit that you cannot you will not be faithful to God if you're not allowing the Holy Spirit of God to control your life. You you can't do it in the flesh.

You can't do it in the energy of your own talents and efforts. My friend, it takes a humble man or woman to realize that they must allow the spirit of God to dictate their life. But then also we looked at the instruction of the scripture that Paul told them that while I was there that the primary thing that I did was not only preaching the gospel as far as salvation is concerned but he taught them the the instruction of God's word.

And I believe that tonight that we need to realize that the only way that I'm going to be faithful to him is if I'm a student of his word. And and I I believe that that is important. I do not believe it needs to be put to the wayside.

It's not about entertainment. It's not about the just our talents. It's about realizing what God's word has to say.

And and then we talked about the presence of the church. And we looked at from the aspect of the church that every person that's born of the spirit of God, washed in the blood, that they're part of the church. But then we're part of the local church.

And and again, let me say this tonight and and you know, they they may not be here, but maybe you can give them this word that it is important to be connected, involved, and active in the local church. Now, you realize today that people think that they're faithful if they show up once a month. That's not faithfulness.

Now they can they can assume that they are and they can pretend that they are and they can Facebook that they are >> but that doesn't mean that they are. >> Amen. >> Amen.

>> That it the church is important. But then last week we began to turn toward a personal touch from the Apostle Paul. And and again I I believe that it needs to be evident in our life.

and and and I believe that Paul began to teach us some things in this 20th chapter and and and the two things that we looked at last week. We looked at perseverance. We looked at how Paul said that I've been with you day and night in the time that God has allotted me to be here.

And and I kind of shared with you last week that perseverance when it comes to scripture is not always battling that which is bad. But sometimes it is also battling and going forward even though things are good. Because we need to realize that no matter if it's good or bad in our life that my friend, we got to go forward.

We got to do what God has called us to do. And then we looked at the passion of the Apostle Paul twice. Remember last week that in these verses that Paul said that while I was here that I spoke to you, I talked with you, I prayed with you, and I had much tears while I was doing that.

that Paul perhaps a man of the men, but yet the Apostle Paul was a man that was, now get this, that was followed by his heart and not just his head. And you know, sometimes we we worry more about the intellect than we do about the spiritual aspect of our life. And and I really believe and I I think that you would agree with this that sometimes in order to be faithful that sometimes God has to break us.

Now that's not a prayer we want to pray. >> That's I I really haven't. In fact, I I don't know if it's ever happened.

perhap perhaps you've done this, but I do not think that in in my line of work that I've ever had somebody to come up and just say, "Preacher, here's what I want you to pray for me. I want you to pray that God would break me." That that's not a prayer that we're going to pray because sometimes it hurts when God breaks you. >> Amen.

Sometimes it doesn't feel well when God breaks you. But yet Paul said that I'm a man of through my tears that I've prayed for you and I've ministered to you. Now I want to leave you with two things tonight.

I was sitting there thinking while we were uh uh Roger was doing all those commercials, man, we need a that's a lot of commercials, wasn't it? A lot going on though. The lot a lot of activity.

But I was sitting there thinking that and and I've never preached this message. I try not to do those reruns. So hopefully you get something good new.

But I began to think if there was any any message that I could preach to the church of Calvary, it would be what I'm about to speak to you tonight. And and as I've been thinking about this over the last several days and and you know, I've just been praying, God, please let please let it grab somebody because as I began to think about this and about faithfulness, if you are a faithful child of God, and I want you to listen to me, you will be attacked and you will be examined for your faith. Now, I want you to realize that >> sometimes we think that, well, if I come to church and I tote my Bible to church and I give my money in the box and I just say that I'm going to be faithful, that everything's going to be okay.

Absolutely not. In fact, I'll say this that a statement that I think is true. If you're not being attacked in one of these four points that I'm going to talk about through what we're going to look at tonight, then more than likely you're not faithful to God.

You might be faithful to the church. You might be faithful in the eyes of your family, but you may not be faithful to God. Because one of the things that you will face in faithfulness is problems.

And the Apostle Paul, if he could be in 2026, if our at our modern-day churches, he would probably gasp at some of the things that are going on. And he would probably gasp at some of the things that people say is they're living a faithful life, but yet none of these things are happening to them. And I can promise you this, in the in the avenue of problems, these four things will be a part of your life.

They may be all at once. They may be one at a time. They may be a couple at a time, but they will be there part of your life.

And I I want you to and I pray I I wish I could, you know, just get you to sear it in your mind or tattoo it on your arm. But these four things Paul brings out in Acts chapter number 20 that will be problems in your faithfulness or in your walk with God. And let let me give you the first one that Paul talks about and that is what will bring a problem in your life?

People that are around you. Now, we may not look at that like we may not act like that or think that happens. But sometimes the things that will us and the things that will cause us to doubt and the things that will cause us to discourage and the things that will cause us to throw up a handkerchief and say, "I quit is some of those people that are around us." Notice what Paul said.

I want to give you God's word. Notice what Paul said in in verse number 19. Because Paul talking to the church at Ephesus, he said, "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations which befell me." Now notice what it said.

By the lying in weight of the Jews. In other words, those people that were around the Apostle Paul. Now, I want you to think about this for just a moment.

I believe that some of those Jews that Paul was talking about, they used to be his friend. They used to be his acquaintance. Perhaps some of them even sat beside him in the temple.

But if you'll notice in that 19th verse that now no longer are they friends. Now long no longer are they coming behind him in church and encouraging him. But now they're plotting against him.

So those used to applaud him were now attacking him. And I began to think about that in our faithfulness in our walk with God. Because you do know this that when you walk with God, everybody's not going to be walking with you.

Now, I know this may this may kind of sear our spirit. But sometimes those who attack us the most are not the people in the bar, even though you shouldn't be in the bar. It's not the folks in the dance hall or the bingo parlor, but sometimes it's those that are right around us in the church.

>> Amen. Now again, I I know that I'm I'm teaching the choir tonight. But you see, sometimes and and I promise you this and and this is not an excuse, but this is a reality because you know sometimes you need to be wary of what excuse somebody will give you.

But I do know this in my walk. I've never had somebody to come and pray Lord or preacher, will you pray that the Lord will break me? But I have had some people do this.

Brother David, you've probably had it happen. Brother Roland, you probably had it happen. You go and you talk to a person that's that used to be in church, that used to be on fire for God, that used to not just carry their Bible, they read their Bible.

They studied their Bible. They were involved in working with the Lord and then all of a sudden they were not there anymore. All of a sudden the class that they used to teach they stopped teaching the songs that they used to sing in the choir.

They stopped singing the Bible that they used to read and carry. They stopped reading. And then you go and you begin to say, "What happened?

What what occurred? What what what happened? Was it was it something that I've done?" And you've probably heard this a dozen times, even though the excuses to me, though it may not have uh content, but yet it's a reality.

Preacher, I was involved. I was working. I was serving.

But then he said, "But somebody said something or attacked me that hurt me to the point that I'm no longer wanting to serve the Lord." Now guys, listen to me very carefully. We can say it and think that that doesn't happen, but that's a falsehood that sometimes, and again, I'm not saying that when they stand before God, God's going to say, "Well, you know, I you know, you shouldn't have done that." But he'll probably say, "Well, I know who you were talking about." But the reality is is that sometimes we will be attacked by those that we thought was for us, >> but yet they're against us. Because you see, when you walk with God, you're going against sometimes people who do not understand the faithfulness of walking with the Lord.

And yet the Apostle Paul and and again I don't I can't take all this time but he uses that word in verse number 19. He uses that word lying in weight. If you have a newer translation it literally means plotting.

That's what that word means. It means it's not just something they come up with. It's something that they thought about.

How what what can I do to hurt that person? what can I do to discourage that person? But yet Paul said, I understand that they are attacking me.

So the first problem that you're going to face if you serve Calvary Baptist Church, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not going to tell you sometimes, I mean, it's all going to be great and all is going to be good. There might be somebody in this church who says something that hurts you even though it's not right.

Sometimes it's a reality. >> But listen to me. That's no excuse to not be faithful to God.

>> No excuse >> to not be faithful to him. Let me give you a second thing that Paul says. Paul says, "In our problems, not only will it be people that are around us, but it would be persecutions among us." Notice what it said in verse number 19.

Again, it says, "With many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in weight of the Jews." And then in verse number 20, he talks about going house to house. Then go to verse number 21. Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

And now verse 22. And now behold, I go bound in the spirit into Jerusalem and knowing the things that shall befall me there. Now Paul is saying that there is some things that are going to happen.

And notice verse number 23. He said, "Except that the Holy Ghost with witness in every uh city, saying that bounds and afflictions," and notice that word abide with me. In other words, they're going to be there.

Paul said that there will be there will be persecutions that I will face. That there will be hardships that I will face. And whenever you go and you look at the Apostle Paul and and one of my readings that if you ever get to the point where you you think you're persecuted and I'll be honest, most of the time we're really not being persecuted by the state of what others are in our in in our nations around the world.

But whenever you look at the Apostle Paul, my friend, he faced persecutions in God's word that could only be comparable to what Jesus faced. Have you ever when when you go and you read about the Apostle Paul and you want to read his resume, go and read 2 Corinthians chapter 12. And in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, he gives us a resume of the persecution that he faced.

Now, I think I said this last week, but I reemphasize it this tonight. The persecution that he endured again came from people that at one time that he enjoyed watching persecute others. You remember last week I talked to you how Paul stood there and watched Stephen be stoned.

But yet now Paul understood that persecution was coming his way. The Bible talks about how in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 talks about how he he was um scourged on his back. Now whenever whenever you read the Bible sometimes I don't know about you but you have to read it a few times and then you finally it finally hits.

What what what is whenever Paul was persecuted three on on three occasions, not just once, three times, he was beaten on his back 39 stripes. I don't know whenever if you grew up if you ever got a weapon. Sometimes the maybe your dad or your mom used the belt or maybe they used the switch, but most of the time, no matter what they chose, it still hurt.

Could you imagine that tonight now? Not because you're just a good guy, but because of your faithfulness to God that all of a sudden Rock Hill become a a city more anti- good God than it is today and you were taken and your shirt was taken off and 39 stripes scourge was placed upon your back. But yet Paul didn't quit.

You know, that would have been one of those, and I know I I say sometimes over and over, perhaps perhaps it makes you do it, but one of the great books you'll ever read is the Fox's books of martyrs. >> And it talks about those men and women who who were persecuted for their faith. Now, their persecution wasn't because the chairs were too hard or soft or the sermons too long or the songs were more about hymns or praise.

That wasn't the persecution. Some of them were burnt at the alive at the stake. They were persecuted for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Perhaps some of you have read that book. I know Ronald used to hand it out. I don't know if he still does, but um the trail of blood.

You remember that that book? And and one of the things in that book that it talks about is you know Anabaptist and how a b you know the Anabaptists were those way back in the ages that you know really understood that baptism is not a ritual but it only comes because of your faith in Christ. If you've been baptized and you're not saved, it you know, it wasn't nothing and you know, but yet many of them were because of their their stand on immersion as baptism that many of them were placed into the river with cast iron or a brick strapped to their feet and drowned because of their faith.

I know today it doesn't it doesn't register a lot to me, but I began to ask myself, would I continue to be faithful to the Lord even in the midst of those tribulations? And so tonight, there will be problems in your life. It's going to be people that are around you.

Sometimes they may attack. It may be persecutions from others that brings persecution into your life. But then there's a third thought that I want you to grab and that is there will also in our faithfulness there will be tribulations.

Now I want you to notice in verse number 19. Are you still with me tonight? >> Okay, notice verse number 19.

It says, "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears." And notice that next word, and that is the word temptations. Now, I know that that word temptation can be translated different ways in our King James version. But this tribulation is talking about trials.

Now let me ask you a question and don't answer this but have you and have you ever sat back and just be you know I don't know about you but you know sometimes even though you won't admit it but I will but sometimes I'll try to manipulate God. Now, that's that's about the dumbest thing that I can do, but I do. But you do as well, Lord.

You know something? If I didn't have so many trials in my life and tribulations, I would probably be a little bit more faithful to you. You know, and I I say this and I say this um honestly.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our tribulations that we lose sight of the one who was over our tribulation. And sometimes it's Lord, Lord, now listen. This is me.

Lord, now now teach me what I need to learn and teach me fast so I can get out of this tribulation quick. You do know this, don't you? Most times, if not all the times and tribulations that we go through is not always that we might learn more, but it's that we might trust him better.

>> Because you know what bothers me, and I I'll say this, and you know, we can erase it off that streaming if we need to. It kind of bothers me when people begin to go in tribulations and the first thing they eliminate is church. That's just my opinion.

>> But yet I I look at some of the folks here and and and I'll tell you, I know you go through tribulation and you're in the midst of a tribulation right now. But yet, man, you come to church and I can tell, man, you don't feel good and you're hobbling worse than I hobble and man, you're just coming. Why?

Because you know this is where God wants you to be. >> Amen. >> But you see, Paul said there's those tribulations.

There's those trials. And here's the I got a bad good thing, a bad thing, and a good thing. The bad thing is they're not going to stop.

But the good thing is one day the Lord's going to come get you by death or rapture. And brother, they're out of here. >> Because brother, when he takes the church home to be with him, one of the things he's not taking with him is disease, sickness, and tribulation.

They're going to be left behind. >> But let me give you this because I do want to give you a closing thing. And the fourth thing on these problems and that is that other word that could be used in verse number 19 in tribute in temptation.

And that is the word sometimes the problems that we have and I have in my faithfulness to God is because I allow sin to overwhelm and to control my life. One of the great verses for a child of God is this. First John 1:9.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. >> You know what that tells me? That tells me no matter how deep I am in sin, I can be at the bottom of that barrel about to go out of the barrel.

But I have a God that I know who is faithful. That if I will confess my sin that he is faithful and the people around me that are attacking me, they may not ever forgive me. Sometimes the hardest place to get forgiveness is a Baptist church.

>> But God says, "I'll forgive you." >> Amen. >> And I'll cleanse you. You know why he does that?

That I might be able to walk and be faithful with him. I don't know about you and I can only vouch for me, but I know in my walk with God, I I've had my and you know, just being transparent, you know, I I was I I thought I was on that right road and and I say that in a generalized way that man, I was doing what God wanted me to do and I was faithful, but I had but all of a sudden the Holy Spirit of God began to reveal to me like a light in a dark room. He began to reveal to me that thing in my life that I was holding and I was, you know, I was saying, you know, it's okay.

You know, we live in a world today that says, well, you know, all you got to do is say it's a habit and it's okay. All we got to do is say it's a sickness and it's okay. But sometimes, you know what it might be?

It just might be out and out sin in my life that all of a sudden God says, "You can't walk with me in the right way." H how how can you walk with me in the right way? and you stand up and you want to preach God's word on Sunday and on Wednesday, but all throughout the week you want to go to places on the internet that you know you shouldn't go. That's hypocrisy.

Got real quiet. Because you see, God begins to reveal that. He begins to reveal that that man, my tongue can't be so long that I'm saying things that I shouldn't say about others that I shouldn't say.

>> And you say, "But preacher, does it matter?" Absolutely. Because all of a sudden, it begins to weigh on our faithfulness to God. And I began to allow that sin to dominate and control my life.

Because I can tell you this that you can sit here tonight and you can have what we call or what others may call a a secret sin. Nobody in this church knows about it. Preacher don't know about it.

Deacon don't know about it. Choir member don't know about it. Your Sunday school teacher don't know about it.

Your m your wife might not know about it. Your daddy or your husband may not know about. But I'm going to tell you right now, God knows.

>> Amen. >> He knows. And as I began to say, Lord, as I began this day, Lord, one of the things that I want to do is I want to be faithful to you.

And sometimes God will say, "Okay, but let's take a look right here on this shelf in your life and let's deal with that." So, those are four problems that will discourage you in your faithfulness to God. It will cause you to doubt. It will cause you to quit.

It will cause you to stop. It will cause you to begin to get to the point where God really, really doesn't matter much in your life. But let me end with this.

I've got fi five minutes. So, you've got five minutes of persecution. But then there's the the last thing and that is in in our faithfulness there's problems but there's also purpose.

Can I ask you a question tonight? And what what is why does God want you to be faithful? And how how does he want you to be faithful?

Well, let let me give you two things two words and and we'll be done. Number one, God wants you and your faithfulness to be profitable. Notice what it says in verse number uh chapter 20 and verse number 20.

And I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you. You know what Paul said in Philippians? To live is Christ, but to die is gain.

And that word gain literally means to be profitable. It means it's to our good. And one of the things that I I pray that I I hope you get all of that I've said earlier.

But but I want you to get this. One of the reasons God wants you to be faithful is that you might be a pro you might be profitable to other people in your life. People can tear you down, but that doesn't give us the right because we can lift others up.

I don't I don't know about you, but again, I can only speak for me. But whenever whenever you began to look at the at the steps of those who are around you, doesn't it doesn't it help you when you see others that are walking in the fullness of God? Doesn't it help you when you see other people in church that they're they're a gain because of their walk with God?

You know, I I'll be honest with you and and and I want you to understand what I'm about to say and because you know, I I think there's a there there's a fine line between humility and arrogance. Some people think that they're humble when all they're doing is being arrogant. Preachers are the world's worst.

Amen. I I heard that. I heard that right there.

But you know what? If you ever decide to leave Calvary Baptist Church, I hope and pray that it leaves a mark on Calvary. Let me let me say it in a layman's term, uh, a mealhill term.

You see, if you leave I want you to be one of those that the church misses. Now, I want you to think about that because there's some folks, nobody in this crowd. There's some folks that it would be beneficial if they left.

Now, I'm now a preacher term. on God's terms. But my friend, I want you to be so faithful to God that if God does lead you, and he does sometimes that it will leave a mark saying, "Wow, that's one of those that we really, really are going to miss." Because why?

Because they were profitable. They made a difference in the church. Let me end with this.

I got two minutes. I hate I have to keep time, but I know I got kids across the street that I don't want parents and grandparents getting aggravated. But not only should our faithfulness be profitable, but it also should be joyful.

Go to verse number 24. One of the great verses in all the Bible. But none of these things move me.

He says, neither count my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy. You know who I believe should be the most joyful people and on this God's green earth? You and me.

Amen. >> We don't have time, but we know that joy and happiness are two different subjects. >> Joy is that thing that is deep in our heart.

That when those people come that talk about us, we realize that we got the joy deep in our heart. Whenever those pers persecutions come that hurt us, we keep going because we got that joy deep in our heart. We know that when those tribulations come and we don't understand and we want to say, "God, why me?" We just keep going because of that joy that's in our heart.

And we know when that temptation comes to for us to follow the world or the ways that we shouldn't follow, we realize that. Listen to me very carefully. Listen to me.

We realize that when I began to follow and become controlled by the holy by the sin in my life, one of the first things that's going to go is the joy in my heart. >> Amen. You don't believe me?

When you get to heaven, talk to David. Not David Elliott. Not David Cely, but King David.

You know what he did? He committed that sin that we talk about so much with Basheba. But you know what he said in Psalm 51?

one of the great pentance psalms and one of the great pentance prayers in all of the Bible. And one of the things that he said in his prayer to God, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. >> You know why he had lost that?

He thought that that that little temptation that day was going to solve some problems and satisfi satisfy his soul, but it pierced his heart and it took his joy. And he said, "God, restore that. Restore that in my heart." And my friend, when we're walking faithful with God, you don't have to have a song to put that joy.

Even though Sometimes it kind of puts a cherry on top of the dessert. But you know what the joy is? Every day, every day of my life that God has for me on this earth to he takes me home is he's got something for me to follow him to be faithful to the Lord.

>> So I pray that God has spoke to your heart. Father, I thank you for your word. God, will you use these simple truths tonight?

And God, please embed them into our mind, into our heart, God, that we would be faithful to you. Because, Father, we've already sang, great is your faithfulness, but Lord, may we walk with you in the way that is pleasing. And Lord, we love you in Jesus name.

Amen. God bless you. Hey, see you on Sunday.

You be here.