How Close is Close When It Comes to Christ?

I want to mention in general, as we begin this message, that I think we're in a sea change in American history. A lot is going on that has not happened before, things that are going away that we never thought might be, culture is changing, politics is changing. We also have a world in which there's uncertainty, two major wars going on in the Eurasian land mass, Ukraine, Russia, the Persian conflict, wherever that is headed. Notice that even at the feast and talking to people after the feast, that to degree that they're on edge.

We're entering times that we have not entered before. Now, I'm not a person that predicts dates and this and that. That's not my way of dealing with prophecy. But there is a movement, there is something happening in America, of all places, a change in party affiliations, ways of being, ways of looking at America. Then to go to see what's happening in Europe, as Europe is in a state of confusion, make no mistake about that.

And to think then about the conflicts that perhaps threaten not only the Eurasian land mass, but can spread to us, and are mentally affected our economy. People are on edge. People are wondering what's going on. I tend to be a person that studies history all my life, history major, wanted to be a teacher. So I tend to look at these things perhaps in a little bit different way, but to recognize that to a degree nothing is ever going to be the same again.

Something's occurring. And that's why I want to bring this message today. I'm not going to be talking about geopolitics other than the effect that it's having on people around the world. But what is our opportunity in being able to draw upon God at this time? I've been giving messages of recent aid about four ways of facing the future, being still, seeking solitude, strengthening the muscle of faith, etc., etc. It's time that we tune up, that we turn on, and that we look up to God Almighty and to draw upon Him, and to be able to take heed to His invitation to each and every one of us that are His children.

I'd like to share with you the title of my message today, and it is simply this. How close is close when it comes to Christ? How close is close when it comes to Christ? That's a question that each and every one of us have to answer. We've gone up to the feast. We've gone up to the mountain of the Lord. As it says in Isaiah, we have been taught His ways. And then, as the people of God, we have basically expressed, and we will walk in His ways.

What we're going to be talking about today is probably one of the most important vital aspects of walking in His way, and that is staying close to God. And how close you stay to God is going to be your responsibility, because He and His Son are always open for business. And not only that, but they have a love affair. They have a love affair with you. They have a love affair with me. That's a lot for them to bear. And I want to share with you that here we are. We're coming off the feast.

We're moving towards another year. Who knows what's going to happen in 2027? Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow as you follow the news? As it comes at us and at us, there's no quiet spot on earth anymore. The noise level, it's going up and going up. And it's not only going up in a singular manner, but in a multitudinous manner of everything trying to grab your attention.

And I'll make a comment, remembering that I remember many, many years ago when Mr. Armstrong in a Friday night with another one of those Friday night Bible studies talked about the prince of the power of the air. That that is the realm of Satan. He is the prince of the power of the air, and he has a wavelength. He has his own wavelength, and it's beaming down on you and me. And again, not to poo-poo or to dismiss all technological advancement. But, dear friends, the world changed back in the 1980s with computers.

It changed with the advent of all of these beams going out, and purposefully trying to attract your attention. That's what business is. There's business models behind it, but there's an even greater model behind the business models that are on this earth. And that is to keep us so active and so busy and so distracted that we don't put first things first when it comes to our spiritual lives and being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. So we're going to talk about that today, and it's going to be the full title is how close is close when it comes to Christ.

But the second part of that is going to be this, if you'd like to draw to them. So what's keeping us from Christ? We're going to measure how close it is that God wants us to him, but then we're going to self-measure. And I hope that this will be productive for you and me as the family of Christ to move forward in the times ahead. Today as we begin, I'd like to anchor our minds and our hearts in the scriptures by turning to Psalm 145.

Let's join me right in the middle of the Bible. See if I do it this time. Pretty good. Psalms 145. And let's pick up the thought in verse 18. Psalms 145. Yeah, 145 verse 18. Here we go. The Lord is near to all. It says the Lord is near to all. He doesn't necessarily have favorites. He's not keeping some people in the outer limits. It says that He is near to all who call upon Him to all who call upon Him in truth, and He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him.

He also will hear their crime and save them. The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever. The Lord is near. This is a statement of fact. It is not theory. It does not start with maybe. He is near.

He is available. Join me if you would in Matthew 11, 28. Let's lay down some track here together to build a foundation. In Matthew 11, I'm picking up the thought of verse 28.

One of the most beautiful four-letter words in Scripture. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Words of Jesus in red ink. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. And it says, this is a promise that you can take to the grave, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is lied.

Further, to establish some track that we can travel on together during this message, join me if you would in Isaiah 55.

Isaiah 55. I'm picking up the thought in verse 1. Ho, everyone who thirst, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come by an e. Yes, come by wine and milk without money and without price.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Now notice verse 3, incline your ear, and come to me. Here and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David.

And indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people. Come, come, come. But we don't only just find that in the Old Testament. Join me if you would for a moment. Let's go to the very last book of the Bible, in the book of Revelation. And boy, is there a wind up here in Revelation 22. I might have said 21, 22. And let's pick up the thought in verse 16. This is where Christ is winding up. We're crescendoing the end of the revelation of God the Father through Jesus Christ. And notice what it says here in verse 16.

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him who hears say, Come, and let him who thirst, Come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Let's drop down now to verse 20. This doesn't stop. The very last, the whole Testament of God through the Old Testament and the New Testament, we are at the ultimate climax. This is the cheering section that's coming from heaven. And know what it says. Verse 20, He who testifies to these says, Surely I am coming quickly.

Amen. So be it. So be it means we can lay our hearts and our lives, our existence on this. And even so, come, Lord Jesus, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Now, can I ask this looks like a astute audience. So I'm going to ask you the question, what is the big four letter word that we've been accenting on for the last five minutes? Can you help me? No. Do I hear no? Help me. What's the word?

I'm going to go to sleep for a while. You wake up and you got it. What is it? Yeah. Is that a question or an answer? Okay. I want all of you to do something.

I'm going to be a mean, bad pastor for a moment. Have a pen in your hand. Have a piece of paper in your hand. And what I want you to do is you are going to spell a four letter word in church.

I want it in all caps. I want you to remember this message. Number one, capital C.

Number two, capital O. Number three, capital M. Number four, capital E.

Now that's the word, but then we're going to put a punctuation mark behind it. Put an exclamation point bigger than the letters that you've written.

Why am I doing this with all of you? This is the invitation of God Almighty. He wants us to come to Him after this feast and after everything that we've heard about the wonderful world tomorrow. And after what we've heard that, you know, God's and Victor brought this up as far as being assistance to the King, Jesus Christ, and teaching people during the millennium. There can be nothing more important saved that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died for our redemption. Amen. But after that, I would have to say it is God's invitation because of all of that. And that is you and I have opportunity at any time to move towards God. Are you going to be moving towards God and seeking His example, seeking His advice, having His ear, asking for His support more today than you did before the feast? We went up to the mountain of the Lord and we were taught His ways. And we basically, following that formula, say, and we shall walk in His paths. But we have to be close to God. Where am I taking you?

These verses are supplied to us to encourage us. We that are spirit-led, yes, we are spirit-led human beings, but we're also fallible. We will sin not only before baptism, but after baptism. And we will have challenges before baptism and after baptism. But either way, what I want to share with you today as you go back up to North County this afternoon, or you're living down by the city Balboa Park, or you're out in the promised land of La Mesa in El Cajon—that's what you're supposed to like over there, El Cajon—that we have at any opportunity, at any time, to appear and come before God and get as close as we can get, and get His hug, get His wisdom, exist in His love, and make a difference not only for yourselves, but for everybody that comes along. And one day we'll read about your story. These verses are supplied to us to encourage us, encourage us, and to be able to move along that tightrope that is somewhere between faith and fear. I would say that as a Christian people, we have faith. As children of God, we have faith. But if we really want to be honest, we still are working off of our fears as well. And God can deal with your faith, and He can deal with your fears. As you come to Him as a child, seeking help, seeking advice, going up a mountain in which you just simply no longer in this lifetime have strength to climb on your own, and you go to Him. And sometimes what we can do is we can be like that man in the Gospels, the man that has the son that's running around in the graveyard. And he's possessed. And then finally the Father cries out, and he cries out and says, I believe, I believe. That doesn't go without saying, I believe, but help thou my unbelief. What about us here today in this holy sanctum, this meeting? I think all of us can say that we believe or we would not be here. It's not our belief that gets us into trouble. It's not our belief that makes us sink into quicksand. It's our unbelief. But the closer that we get to God and put our lives into His hands—and we're going to give you examples of this—it's going to get better. We're going to grow. We're going to have a Heavenly Father that is proud of us. We're going to have a family that notices the growth that is in us. We're going to have neighbors that see something is happening here. I don't quite get these people, but you know what? He's that person, that man, that woman. They're walking with more of a bounce because they know that they are not alone. So the purpose of today's message is to inform, to educate, to encourage, and inspire us how those before us and among us today have set the example of how to draw near to God's saving power. We read. We hear. To know that we are not alone. So I'm going to start with some examples. These are just stories we're going to go through, but they are all examples of people that did not run away from God in time of need, but ran towards God, ran towards Christ, and got as close to Christ as possibly could be. I want to start, number one, with Mark 2. Would you join me in Mark 2?

In Mark 2, you'll know the story once we get there. In Mark 2, in picking up the thought, verse 1.

And again, speaking of Jesus, he entered Capernaum, and after some days, and it was heard that he was in the house. Perhaps that's a house where he lodged when he was not on that northern part of the Galilee. He was in house. He was present. And immediately, many gathered together so that there was no longer room to receive them. Not even at their door, near the door. It was blocked out. It was surrounded. Some of you felt that Temecula was a little crowded. This was really crowded. Nobody was moving inside or outside, and the door was completely blocked. But somebody wanted to get close to Jesus Christ.

And we find that out as we go through it. Immediately, many gathered together so that there was no longer room to receive them. Not even near the door. And he preached the word to them. Just think of—here's the PowerPoint. I want you to look—sorry, Matt, but this is it. PowerPoint. Imagine being squeezed, you know, trek—no—tret. There is no room in that house. Nobody going anywhere.

Might as well go home. Party over. People could go three steps forward, two steps back.

Okay, now, you know, that's how crowded it was. But somebody that day knew that Christ was the answer for him. And he had to get closer.

The only thing is, he couldn't walk. He was a paraplegic.

He wanted to be healed. He wanted to be touched by the Christ. Then let's go to verse 3. Then they came to him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.

Four men. What is the power of your life? What is the power of my life as a Christian?

Do we have the name of those called they? Have you ever met the they people in the Bible?

There's a lot of them. And we're to be a part of that number. We're to be a part of that host in the 21st century as disciples of Jesus Christ. They. What were their names? Bill? Joe? I don't know. But notice then what happens here. Then they came to him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near him because of the crowd, they uncovered the rough where he was. And so when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

You can't make this up. This is gospel truth.

They can't get through the door. Even if they did, they couldn't move. And then what happens is, so they go up the side stair up to the top of the house to the roof.

Now, once you get the feel of it, are you with me? Get the feel of this. Just imagine all of a sudden, and I know you are just really full attention to me speaking right now. Sort of. But what would happen if all of a sudden you heard up here on the roof and the roof started crumbling on you coming down. You knew something is about to happen that you had not prepared yourself for. And the plaster is coming off, or the straw is coming and Christ is trying to preach and he's going like this, and the straw off is said.

They were so determined that Christ was the answer that these beloved friends of this gentleman picking up this man that could not walk, four men carrying a man that was dead weight, upstairs, getting him through, and then all of a sudden, get this. Are you with me? All of a sudden, here comes the layer coming down, the bed down on the roof. Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch- Dirty man. Still coming. And there he is dangling before Jesus Christ while he's... This is the story!

This is what we are to draw close to, just as much as this man that could not move a limb gave himself as a living sacrifice. And you know what? It says that there are brothers that are born for adversity. And I would say that is the codename of the gentlemen that were known as they. T-H-E-Y. They stood by this man. They know that he wanted to get as close. Being outside was not going to do it. Being in the throng of people 15 to 30 feet away from the Christ was not going to do it. He wanted to be touched by Messiah. He had the confidence and the faith that he was going to be healed. How close was he? How close was he as close as he could get? Let's continue. Let's realize in our everyday life that people, people and obstacles can obstruct and blind us from the goal, from the target.

We want to be as close as possible to Jesus Christ in spirit and in action as can be.

Because his father is watching as to who we will turn to.

Will we turn to Christ or will we tune into another edition of TikTok to distract us into mindlessness rather than the values of the things of the kingdom of God?

This is where we need to be after the Feast of Tabernacles. We need to be recommitted. We need to be as close to God the Father through Jesus Christ as possible. You know, it's interesting. There's a verse, you know, there's probably everybody, everybody in that building and sight going, eh, look who showed up. Not again, you know. What a loser.

But I always remember Jeremiah 1.18, a young Jeremiah who doesn't think he's up to the job.

And what does God tell him? Anybody know what he tells him? He's afraid of going into a crowd speaking the words of God. And you know what he says to a young Jeremiah? I love it. Jeremiah 1.18, do not look at their faces. You keep your eye on the target. You will be about your father's business. You are my child. You are my servant. I will be with you. Stay close. Stay near. Be tight. What you can't do, I will ask much of you. But what you can't do, I will do what only I can do. But first, you do what you can do.

It's interesting as we go down this story, it says this, and some of the scribes, oh, we love the scribes, were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts. That's a dangerous combination right there. Reasoning in their hearts. What does this man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone? But immediately when Jesus perceived in his Spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, think about that as you try to move closer to God in the way that he thinks. Don't reason amongst ourselves. Understand what the Scriptures say and believe them. And Jesus said, what are you guys doing reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven you or to say, arise, take up your bed and walk. But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. He said to the paralytics, I say to you, arise and take up your bed and go to your house. And immediately, verse 12, he arose and took up the bed and went out in the presence of them all so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, we never saw anything like this.

One man's commitment, one individual's desire to be as close to the Christ as possible, whatever it took, it even meant being lowered down a roof, down through a hole in the ceiling with straw going on everybody. He made a commitment. It was individual, but it spread. Everybody got the example. Everybody thought that this was a glorified situation by God. And they said, we have seen, never seen anything like this. This man was not in the priest level of Israel. He was not teaching in the temple compound. He was just a man that wanted to be as close to Jesus Christ as possible and would not settle for anything else and would be distracted from that mission. And his faith and his enthusiasm caught fire with his friends that took him up. Faith spreads. If only we will believe in it and allow it and recognize it's not always going to be somebody up on Mount Moriah. It's not going to be somebody that went up Mount Sinai, but it's an individual believer that goes before the throne of God to be by Christ and to say, I need help and heal me. And you know when you do that, when you try to get as close to Christ as possible, things happen that you weren't prepared for. He just thought he was going in for a body up, you know, heal it. Heal it. But Jesus added to that. He did not just heal the outward man, but he forgave the man his sins. You see, when you begin that exploration towards the throne of God and want to cozy up to Christ, as it were, you're going to find out things that you didn't know about. And God's ways are not always our ways, and he stretches our mind. We think we need—I do it at my age—a body fix. But you think that you need a body fix, and he gives the man a heart fix. Are you ready for that this year? Or am I just talking up to the ceiling? Can we get so close to God the Father through Jesus Christ and rub hearts that things are going to happen not only in our life, but for the lives of others? One thing I want to share, when you try to get closer to Christ, come to expect the unexpected. Come, are you ready? Are you geared to meet the unexpected? Boy, man, I've been in this way of life since the Jurassic period, 1962, now that you know when the Jurassic period was. Who am I to learn after 63, 64 years of showing up in church every week or reading my Bible at home or praying to God? Expect more to come. Elsie, my friend, you're the kid in this block. Get ready. Put your seat belt on. God has more to show you as you—and you've always been an example of wanting to be right in the thick of things and be close to God—you're going to be learning more. Yet. You say, enough already. Yeah, no, there's more. And you can then share that with others by your example. All of us are that way. I'd like to go to another example. Show me if you would in Luke 19. Luke 19. You'll be familiar with this. Sometimes familiarity does breed contempt or lack of reviewing these marvelous scriptures. In Luke 19—here we go—Luke 19, verse 1.

You'll be familiar with this story.

I remember Little Robbie when I was 10 years old. Going to Sunday school. My mother was the superintendent of the Lutheran Sunday School. She was also my teacher. And she made us sing this ditty. I'm going to try to do this in tune. Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man, was he. He climbed up on the sycamore tree so the master he could see. That's it. Did I do all right? You didn't shrink? Susan didn't shock us anyway. Join me in Luke 19. Never underestimate—not in the Lutheran church, but our own church—when our kids are learning words with music, they remember them for the rest of their life. Luke 19. Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And now, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector. And he was rich. Now, he was a tax collector. You know in general how that went over with the Jews, right? The agent man for the Romans who was a chief tax collector—and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was. He had a curiosity.

Curiosity may kill the cat, but it enhances the growth of a Christian. And it says, so he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was short of stature. So he ran ahead. So there's energy in this. There's action. He's putting out out loads. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. No matter what he had to do, he wanted—the master was moving through Jericho, and he wanted to see him firsthand with his own eyes and get a sense of the man. He wanted to be as close as he could be, and he already had some challenges because he was a short dude. But he did not let that hold him back. He did not let his physical—not that's not infirmity, but his physical manner hold him back. He put energy into it. He had creativity into it. He actually climbed up a tree so he could see Jesus Christ firsthand. He was not going to settle. It may not be the chief seat that day on the main street of Jericho, but he was going to do what he could do to be as close to Christ as possible.

And when Jesus came to the place—this is the place where Zacchaeus is up—and when he came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste. Come down. For today, I must stay in your home. Come on, boy. Come on down. Get off the tree limb. I want to meet and touch you in person. And by the way, you may not know it, but I'm coming to your house tonight. Thank you very, very much. This is a story. This can be our story. When we strive to get as close to Jesus Christ as possible, these such things can happen. And these stories, just the ones that I'm just mentioning here, about the different peoples, Zacchaeus and others. But I want to share one more with you. I want to share one more with you. I'll probably just ad-lib this because of time I've given sermons on it before. One of my favorite stories is the story of the woman. The woman that came through the crowd, slowly moving. Jesus had landed on the north shore of Galilee, the Galilee. He was in Capernaum. And he got out and he was basically headed to Bebetside by the daughter of Jarias, the high priest. And so there was a whole crowd flow that was going from the shore, following Jarias, and going up towards this house where his daughter was dying. And he said, Come, I want to be healed. But there were two things happening at once, and God can't handle, but this is what's really neat. God can handle both. Numbers don't confuse them. So this whole crowd, the whole movement of the crowd is going at an angle up towards the Jarias pad. But there's a woman that's angling down through this crowd, through this crowd. And she had a rare blood disease. She had something that was very serious about her. And of course, you think back in that time with quarantine and with the different health laws of Israel, and you think of this or that, and a woman at that time versus a man, unfortunately. But she's got a plan. As the crowd is going this way, she's slowly creeping up this way. She's moving towards target. You know who the target is?

Jesus Christ. She wants to get as close to this man of miracles as possible can be.

And then she yanks on his tassel. Jesus wore tassels. We don't wear tassels today, but Jesus wore tassels. He was a Jew. And so she's grabbing him from beyond. Talk about yanking on your cord. She's yanking down this way. And all of a sudden it's like this.

The power is going out of him. Somebody has touched him. Not just somebody, but a woman that wanted to get as close to Jesus Christ as possible. Because she had faith, and she had a need, and she was alone.

And Jesus stopped right in his tracks.

After she had touched him, and she was healed. And they talk about it together as the parade moved on up to Jarias' house for Jesus to heal the daughter. But before that, Jesus had a talk with that woman. Wouldn't you like—I see a bunch of ladies out here—wouldn't you like to just be right in front of Jesus Christ? And he stops and takes time out from the whole crowd. And he's going to get to that other emergency because he sees things before they are.

You can have that talk. You will have times of fear. You will have times that you're not quite sure what the right answer is. Stop. Be still. Know that Christ is God, the Son of God.

It'll be worth every second that you stop and have that solitude with the Master.

And to put your life in his hands no matter this way or that way. Dear friends here in San Diego and those that are listening, we need more of this faith today. We need to stand still. The world just wants to keep us on a total spin. Got to do this. Got to do that. Got to do this. Got to do that. Got to watch this show. Got to hear this program. Got to do this. Got to do that. And what have you done for God in the meantime?

I'd like to share another story with you out of the Bible. It's somebody that we all know very, very well. In fact, we kind of act like him sometimes. His name is Peter. You've got to love Peter. Jesus had finished up on the north shore of the Galilee.

The disciples had already begun to cross over the Sea of Galilee. He was not with him at that time. But all of a sudden, the disciples who were in this middle storm, they look off in the distance, and there is a figure moving towards them.

Peter recognizes who it is. And what does Peter do? You got to love Peter. I think there's a bit of Peter in each and every one of us. Peter gets out of the boat. I want you to think about this. You might want to move that camera a moment, Tammy. Peter gets out of the boat. We're going to train over here a second. He's on the boat. He's on the boat right now. He's on the boat. And nothing but the boat. And it says, he steps out of the boat. That's the boat. He has now stepped out. When's the last time he stepped on water and didn't sink through it? He's on the water. And we know the rest of the story. And I know we've had enough sermons over the years about, oh, Peter should have done this or Peter should have done that. You know what? Peter got out of the boat while everybody else was watching on their can.

Safe and secure. The bottom line is this, and the power of this story is simply this, that wherever Jesus Christ is, that's where Peter wanted to be, too.

Can we kind of put that into our mind and our heart as we leave this on this Sabbath day? That wherever Christ is, that's where we want to be no matter what it takes.

Everybody else is on the boat. Peter's the only one. Now Peter had his issues.

Tammy, I'm coming back. We know Peter. We know that he cut off the ear of Malchus in the garden. Not a good boy at that time. We know that later on he'd be in the courtyard, denying Christ, denying Christ, denying Christ. When can we load up Peter's case against him?

But also Satan can load up his case against us.

But there's one thing about Peter. He always came back, and it's about being close.

And wherever Christ was, he wanted to be there. You think about it, you think of the night of the New Testament Passover when Peter said, God, have you done this recently? God, you're not going to do this. Christ wanted to wash his feet. No, no, no. Christ says, yes, yes, yes. If you don't go through this, you have no part in me. That's not just talking about body parts. That's talking about there would be no role for him. A part is the role that the apostles played at that time.

But the one thing about Peter that always strikes me, and I love sharing this story, Peter with all of his foibles, all of his faults, he wanted to be close to Jesus Christ. Remember when they're up in the Sea of Galilee? This is post resurrection. Are you with me? And remember they're out on the boat trying to fish? You know who that is? Unshore? He's making breakfast.

And who is the one individual that jumps ship and swims ashore?

Leaving everybody in the boat again. These are two cases of being left in the boat. Not good.

But Peter being totally human and yet being totally called by Jesus Christ.

Because all the disciples had to be different because they fit this fabric. They fit this tapestry of love and of knowledge about what God the Father is doing through Jesus Christ. That it was going to go throughout the world in different fashions, different ways. And while they were different, they were going to be that tapestry to sin, preach the gospel in the world. And there's Peter, without a thought, jumps ship. Why does he jump ship? Because that's where Christ is and he wants to be as close to Jesus Christ as can humanly be possible.

And that's where I want to be this year, brethren, and I hope that you'll join me.

I think sometimes I've been in this way of life for 63 years. And sometimes as a recycled teenager, at least physically, I feel like I'm just beginning to grow. Beginning to get it. Beginning to see it. Beginning to see the importance that God looks down and says, Do you love me? Will you accept my son's invitation? Come, come, come. I'm going to leave you with this fact, this point. Here we are a couple weeks after the Feast of Tabernacles.

I want you to remember that paper that you signed off on. You didn't realize that. It was your will. No, signed off on. Come. I want you all to experience more than ever the joy of the adventure of coming to God the Father through Jesus Christ and getting as close as possible to Jesus Christ.

It's the story of the little people of the Bible.

The story of the man in the structure.

You remember, until next time we meet, see this shaft going up?

Just pretend that it's pointing to a hole. By the way, you're underneath the roof, the hole is getting bigger. What's going to be happening? And it's the story of a man whose name we do not know and friends that we do not know.

But the rest is history for us. I quite sincerely mean that. And I say it in love. Let's rejoice. We have a master and his father who say, come, come, come. You say, come off the feast, been to the mountain of the Lord, he'll teach us his ways, we will walk in his paths. Let's just make sure that the paths that we walk henceforth are leading towards Christ and not away from Christ.

And even so is the Good Shepherd, even in that time, he will come after the lost and the found and seek you out and be in the field all night because he loves you, he cherishes you, and our Heavenly Father has put him in charge of the safe keeping of your heart to exist with them forever. Thanks for hearing me today.