Leaving a Footprint

Good morning. Good to be with you again. It's always fun to be here at Cincinnati. I don't seem to be here all the time, but I won't be here next week. I won't be here for trumpets, and I won't be here for atonement, and I won't be here for the feast. So I'll miss you for a while. I think I have one Sabbath and there I am. Next week I'm in Toronto, and then Chicago for trumpets and Africa for the rest of it. So I'll miss seeing some of you. It's always good to be with you, though. It's always good to have a home congregation, even if you're not home.

That seems to be much of my life. It doesn't seem to be at home. At least my wife gets to be with me now, and she has to hear all this over and over again. The ministers' wives are a special lot. None of them ever want to be one, but they end up being one anyway. So that's how life goes.

I love teaching. It's always been something that I never thought I would be. I enjoyed being a student when I was in college and in high school, even. I always enjoyed learning things, history, and math. I was fairly good at it, so if you're good at something, it's always more fun.

We all know that. But I never expected to be a teacher. After Mr. Arnshaw died, I was asked to teach an ambassador, more or less to relegate me to somewhere where I couldn't do any damage.

Which was kind of funny, because they put me in contact with all the young people in the church so that I could damage them all. Which was interesting, considering the direction they were going in the Gospel and the direction that I was remaining to. And also being in business, they couldn't get rid of me for preaching heresy, what would be heresy in their eyes.

So it was always fun. But the classes I taught at that time were finance business, mostly, although all the counseling I did was biblical and spiritual, because that was where the problems were in the college at that time in the church. And so I was able to help a great many people.

But it was interesting, once in a while you do some things you always wonder how you're doing when you teach, and if it's ever getting through. But it was interesting, one of my students that I had years ago, in the early 90s, a good student, almost all of them were an ambassador, she came to me a few years ago and she said, oh, I've got to tell you a story. And I said, what? He said, well, it's just funny. He says, I went to work after graduation, I went to work for a company, it was a very stable company, and this company actually had very little turnover of people, because what they did is they made everyone, when they came to work there, they had a socialization, initialization process, which they went through. And somewhere during their first year they were supposed to go in and sit down with a financial planner and lay out their life, what they wanted to do, where they wanted to go, understand the programs the company offered, the 401k and what IRAs were and any other financial things that they might be involved with.

And so she said, I was there working in this company and I hadn't gotten to see them out at all after over a year. And finally they cut up with me in my second year or third year. And the man who did all the planning for them, who was a professional financial counselor, called me up and said, you have to go in. And we need to do this. It's required by the company employees.

And so she gathered her stuff together. Like he told her, he said, just bring in all your couple bank statements and things and whatever you've done financially. And we'll take a look at it and see what you need to do to prepare for your life. So she came in, brought her things with her. The man started going through what she had. And as he looked at all the different papers and things she had done, he just looked up at her and he said, I haven't seen anybody like this come through this company for forever. I've never seen anyone as young as you that have laid out your life. Because she was saying, I probably haven't done enough. I probably haven't done things that I could have done. He said, no, no. I said, you've done more than most of the people that were for the company that have been or years have done. In fact, I don't know of anything that I can tell you to do that you're not already doing. And he said, who taught you to do this? And she said, well, I had a class in Ambassador College. He said, where's that? It was a little college in Big Sandy. And we had a teacher that taught this personal and family finance class who showed us all these different things to do. And so that's why I've done what I've done. And he said, well, that's amazing. He said, just keep on going. I thought that was the end of the story, but she said, no, that's not the end of the story. She said, what was interesting is I got transferred the company to another city, you know, a thousand miles away. And after a couple of years, I got a call from the same man. And he called me up and he says, hey, what was the name of that college you went to? And she said, well, Ambassador College. He says, what was the name of that teacher you had?

Well, it was Mr. Dean. He said, I had two other young people that came in, or they had exactly the same plans you did, did exactly this thing that you did. So I'm going to call this the Aaron Dean footprint. The title of my sermon today is Leaving a Footprint. It was interesting that in the financial world there, I'd left a thing that could be followed as a footprint, an imprint.

You know, a footprint shows the direction where someone went, where you can follow. It leads a journey that creates opportunities and experiences for the person who follows that path. Those experiences involve decisions. They often involve sacrifices. Some are happy. Some are sorrowful, joy and sorrow, a bit of both as you go through life. If you follow the footprints of a great man, you can achieve greatness and success. If you follow the footprints of a fool, it leads to destruction and sorrow. Jesus Christ Himself left us a footprint, a truly perfect footprint to follow. One that's difficult, no one has ever followed it perfectly. We can't as humans. And following His footprint leads to eternal life. It leads to where we want to go as Christians, where we try to go, what we try to do. It's interesting because that's what our calling is there for. You know, it says in John 6, 44, no man can come to me except the Father draws him, and that's true. But we're called. All of us in this room are here because a calling of sorts, either yourself or through your parents, the children, have a chance to accept this because your parents are baptized. In 1 Peter 2, 21, it says, for here and to, what are you called? One of the memory scriptures. It's on the cards if you have those. Because Christ also suffered leaving an example that you should follow in His steps. He left an example that we should follow in His footsteps, what He did, even if it means dying like He did.

Hopefully it's not. I always pray to have the easy way out. But whatever He has in store for me, I have to be willing and ready to take it. It takes conviction to believe. It takes commitment to do what you've decided. It takes conversion to actually do it. Why we have baptism in God's Holy Spirit. And it takes courage. A lot of courage. Our spiritual footsteps start. Our footprint starts with Jesus Christ where He started His message of the Kingdom. It starts with repentance. It's the first step in leaving a footprint, following His and leaving ours for someone else to follow. It's interesting because you have to say God is right and we're wrong.

Turn to Matthew 4, if you would, because Christ started His message with repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. It's not here now. Obviously we know the Kingdom is not here now. Some people try to make it be here now in religion, in your hearts or wherever, but it's not. It's a real Kingdom that's going to come. We had this seminar this afternoon to talk about that.

The repentance is the first step. I'm wrong. God is right. Period. That's it. It has to start there. It's hard to admit you're wrong. One of the things I always did when I did some marriage counseling was make sure that each of the parties were making this commitment on their own.

Because I'd heard of too many cases in the past where someone else said they should get married, they'd come back and say, well, they said we should do it. They said someone to blame.

And I always said that I'm not going to... I don't know what makes people love each other.

I don't know what makes people choose what they do. And so I'll counsel you and show what a good marriage should be and the communication. But you are going to say I do to her and she is going to say I do to you. And if he moves out, I'm not moving in. That's your business. And I want you to know and that you said I do. And therefore, if you really mess up, you have to say I made a mistake. Not Mr. Dean did or somebody else. And that's the thing you have to do is know when you're wrong. I admit that. Matthew 4, verse 12. Peter and Andrew had to change their careers in this chapter. It's kind of interesting. Verse 12. Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast in prison, he departed to Galilee, verse 13, and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast and the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, I'm always glad when Christ tells me this is something Isaiah said, you can go back and find it. Some of these prophecies are obscure, yet Christ fulfilled every one of them. The land of Zebulon, the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people which sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them which sat in the region, a shadow of death, a light sprang up. Christ was the light of the world, and he sprang up there, and he started his ministry. Verse 17, from that time Jesus began to preach and to say, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. He was the way, he was the messenger, and that was the message, and he lived the example. He left footprints that showed that as well.

And as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers. Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net in the sea, and they were fishermen. And he said to one of them, follow me, and he said to them both, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

And straightway they left their nets and followed him. They dropped what they were doing and followed him. And going from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Jebity, and John his brother, and his ship was Zebity their father, mending their nets, and he called to them. Same thing.

And they immediately left their ship and their father and followed him.

Kind of an odd scenario when you think about it. I can't imagine building something with my dad and somebody walking by and saying, hey, follow me. I'm just leaving him. But the Spirit was moving them, I'm sure, and they saw what Christ was doing in his message, and they left.

Verse 23, Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

And when you have the ability to heal, people tend to listen. They follow. Free healthcare.

I'm sure our two candidates would love to do that. They'd definitely get elected.

But they only fake things. They don't ever do real things. So politics of the day. But Christ was healing people, and they followed, and they listened. This is amazing. Nothing had ever happened like this before. There have been times in the past when people were healed, obviously. One here, one there, Elijah the widow, the son was raised alive. There's various things, but just have someone, anyone who's sick, and heal them. And they saw it, and they heard it, and followed him. And, of course, he became famous. Verse 24, and his fame went throughout all Syria.

He was leaving footprints. They could follow and see. They brought him all the sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed of demons, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy. He healed them, all of them, whatever it was. He was a specialist in healing everything. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, from Genia, and beyond Jordan.

He built a great following. How many of them were there when he died?

For the people he called, the brothers, they had a career. They had physical careers fishing.

And God gave them a spiritual career to be followers of Christ and to leave footprints for us.

At baptism, you made the same commitment to let God rule in your life, to be in charge of what you wanted to do, to follow a new spiritual career path. You have a physical job, and we all do. We have to do something to work. But we also have a spiritual career that we leave footprints with for our children, for our friends, for our neighbors, for people to see.

Turn to 1 Corinthians 4. Paul was a very spiritual man by man's standards, but he made a remarkable change at conversion. He became a new man, the new man that he talks about becoming a new man in his books. He didn't want them to follow what he was. He wanted them to follow what he became. And therefore, he could say in 1 Corinthians 4.16, Wherefore I beseech you, be you followers of me.

Verse 17, For this cause I have sent to you, Timothy, who is my beloved Son, Faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways, which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. Timothy followed what Paul taught, Paul followed what Christ taught. Again, 1 Corinthians 11. Turn a few pages over, and you'll see there what Paul says again. Same similar statement. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1, Be you followers of me, even as I also am a follower of Christ, as he followed Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances I delivered them to you.

We have been delivered things as well. We keep the Sabbath. We keep the Holy Days coming out. We keep things that people, most Christians, think aren't Christian. They think they're Old Covenant Jewish customs. And we keep them because we've been taught and we see that Christ kept them.

We follow Christ and Paul and the apostles and those that God has shown.

Philippians 3, if you turn over there, how did Paul want you to follow? How did he teach?

What did he say? Philippians 3 verse 1, Fall finally, my brethren, after writing to them, rejoice in the eternal, to write the same things to you. To me, indeed, it's not grievous, but for you it's safe. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision that is cutting off. We're talking about circumcision there, referring to circumcision. Again, he didn't talk about that. Concision actually was a mutilation word as such, but he wasn't trying to say circumcision was wrong in a sense, but he was saying that it's not what gives you salvation. As the Jews of the time were practicing and trying to make all the Christians practice. Again, to enter the temple, if you were a Gentile, you had to be circumcised to enter the gate. And the Jews were saying, well, the church is a spiritual temple, therefore these people who are not circumcised can't come into the spiritual temple. And Paul was saying, no, that's not what it's about.

Circumcision of the heart is different. And that's what they thought. And Paul cracked to them. Verse 3, for we are the circumcision, which works of God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. There's pride in the physical, there's humility in the spiritual. Our fritprint should not be a stumbling block where it doesn't need to be. The Jews who wanted them to be circumcised to have that physical sign were putting a stumbling block in front of them. Certainly, there are things that people might call a stumbling block. People think the Sabbath, the Holy Days might be, but those are commandments of God. We shouldn't try to make people do things that are our pet things. There are people that have pet things that they feel everybody should do. I've written, I've read thousands of them, Senator Mr. Armstrong, little pet ideas, the church ought to do this, and then they have some idea. Some good, some bad, some way out on the end of the spectrum.

But it was interesting. Verse 4, Philippians 3, though I might have confidence in the flesh, if any man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, okay, if anybody you think you've done so much, Paul says, I've done more. You want to stack it up?

Stack it up against Paul. Stack it up against Christ. Paul, in talking to them, he said, you want to stack it up here. Paul lays a stack on them. Though, he says, circumcised the eighth day.

I did it. From the time I was a little baby, I started out just right. I got circumcised the eighth day. I was in the stock of Israel, God's people. I was in the right place. Tribe of Benjamin, one that went with Judah, stayed there. Followed God's law a little more than the other tribes did.

Hebrew of the Hebrews. I mean, you want to be a Hebrew? I'm a Hebrew. I was there touching the law of Pharisee. Hey, I counted the mint and the onus and the common. I divided the seeds. I gave that tenth of God. I was perfect in that. That was it. Concerning zeal? Hey, I was zealous. I persecuted the church. I killed people. I thought they were wrong. Can't get much better than that, can you? How much worse than that. Touching the righteousness which is in the law? I was blameless.

I did what the book said. I was good. Any of you want to stack up to that?

Yeah. Paul stacked up. If you want to compare as far as physical things. Verse 7, But what things were gained to me, I count us loss for Christ. It has to be a loss.

I've heard people stack up their accomplishments in the business world and also in the church sometimes. It's interesting. If you're stacking it up like Paul did to show that it's worthless, one thing. But if you're stacking up to build your own pride, then it's simply arrogance, unfortunately. But it's interesting. He counted us a loss. Continuing on verse 8, I count all things but for loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. It's a loss to Him. Those things don't mean anything. Kind of like Saul, you know obedience is better than sacrifice. In fact, you're going to offer all these animals to God. That's not it. Why you do these things is because you want to be with Christ. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and to count them as done, that I may win Christ. Yeah, He was honored among the Pharisees. He was appointed to do all these things and gave it all up because Christ taught him a different way. Verse 9, to be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law. He was good by the standards the people judge by, but that which is brought through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

That's the righteousness. Knowing that you're human, you fail, and your footprints may not lead, but you find Christ and then your footprints start to walk and follow Him, and you leave something in the sand worth dying for. Remember Mr. Armstrong telling me a few times, he talked to me about different things. He said, Be aware of people that make you feel unrighteous.

That's the thing they try to do with Christ. They'd say they did this, they did that.

You got to pick corn. You do this. You do things on the Sabbath that you shouldn't do, like healing and good works. They try to say those things. They may accuse you of things someday, but sometimes people will try to make you feel unrighteous. Now, if you are unrighteous, then you ought to change, but don't worry about people that make you feel unrighteous, because they're telling and spouting off how righteous they are. That's interesting. You said that, and I've seen that happen. I've actually seen people that try to make you feel unrighteous. Well, when you're as good as I am. Yeah, right. That's life. But realize where that comes from—the pride. Verse 10, That I may know him, the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death. If by any means I might attain into the resurrection of the dead. He said, Trump is coming up, or we're going to be resurrected, the first fruits. It's coming. True reality. Not as though I had already attained. Either were already perfect. Paul wasn't. He knew that. But I follow after that if I may apprehend that for which I am also apprehended of Christ. He knew he'd never do it as a human. And it's not one save to always save. You have to keep working. Brethren, I count not for myself to have apprehended. I haven't got it yet. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which were before. The true reality. What God and Christ have to offer. Our true reality is not something we can see. This world's decaying. The whole of the universe is decaying. Physical creation. But the reality is being part of the family of God. Leaving footprints that people can follow to spirituality. And so he tells us in verse 15, us, he tells you, he tells me, let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if anything, you be otherwise minded. God will reveal it to you. He'll tell you what you need if you're trusting him. Nevertheless, square two, we have already attained. Let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing.

Brethren, be followers together of me. Follow those people who do right. Mark them which walk.

So as you have for an example, be an example. People walk like you walk. When you see a good example, follow it. Footstramps that are good are there to be followed. People that teach the right thing are there to follow. Hear what they say and watch what they do. And hopefully they agree. If they don't, then do what is right. That's what you have to do. Because there are people that don't do it. Verse 18, for many walk of whom I have told you often, and I'll tell you, even weeping, that they are of the enemies of the cross of Christ. A lot of people use Christ to disobey.

I'm on a forum, I'm on several forums. One of them is this Church of God group that somebody, there's a bunch of people on there, Christ did it all, you have to do nothing. And there's a bunch of us that are saying, no, that Christ, yeah, we're saved by grace, but you still keep the commandments.

And there's this battle going on, and we always ask questions, and people don't ever answer them.

It's always fun when people don't answer the question, because there's no answer.

But they try to use Christ, well, you're just under the old covenant. And they condemn, and they make all these statements about, you're just trying to follow Moses and the covenant. You can't get saved by that. Well, we agree, we can't be saved by that. But is God going to give grace to someone who doesn't obey Him? That's why I said, show me someone who obtains grace because they disobeyed God.

I mean, wasn't Satan have a problem until iniquity was found in him? It was iniquity, that's sin. Ah, so God doesn't want someone who's sinning in His kingdom. Therefore, if I sin, but I say I love Christ, I'm okay. Doesn't make sense to me. But people do use that. They try to turn you away.

It's interesting, sadly. But your footprints mirror Christ, as Paul did. And that's what you have to do.

There's so many people, again, to try to take you away. Satan wants to pick you off.

And there's destruction if you follow the wrong path. Your footprints have to mirror Christ. Is it easy? No. Will it be hard? Absolutely.

Because a difficult way to go upstream against the world. Deuteronomy 31.

You can see what God said or what Moses said to Joshua. Deuteronomy 31, verse 7. It will seem like an uphill battle. It did to the 10 of the 12 spies that went into the promised land. It's too far uphill. We can't even do it. Verse 7, Moses called to Joshua and said to him, in the sight of all of Israel, Be strong and of good courage. Why? Because it's going to be tough. It's going to seem tough. And you have to be courageous. For you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give it to them. And you shall cause them to inherit it. Through God, of course. Joshua couldn't take down the walls of Jericho.

Only God could. Verse 8, The Lord, He it is that goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you, nor will He forsake you. Fear not, neither be dismayed. If He did this for physical Israel, how much more will He do it for spiritual Israel? For you and for me. How much?

But if you don't rely on God, then your footprints will go astray. Look at what it does. Turn to 1 Timothy 6, if you would. I always enjoy reading Timothy. I always had a kindred spirit. All of us who grew up in the church have a kindred spirit, the Timothy, because you start so young and you get the scriptures from your parents. And then you wait for your calling and you kind of figure out what kind of calling. You already know the truth, but it doesn't seem quite the same as someone who finds this pearl. You've seen the pearl from your childhood. It doesn't seem quite the same. 1 Timothy 6, verse 1, Let us many servants that surrender the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. You're in a situation you can, by the way you set your example, by the way you walk. Your footprints can blaspheme the way of God. When you don't do right, it makes God's way look bad. Verse 2 of that chapter, he says, Those that have believing masters, let them not despise them. Most slaves back then despise their masters, and slavery is not the right thing.

But they are brethren in this case, but do them service. They are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. Do what it is. If any man teach otherwise and get sent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness. Then what is that person? If he doesn't do it, verse 4, he is proud.

He knows nothing. He might know some things, but nothing that's eternal. But doting about questions and strife of words. You ever heard that? I've seen a lot of people strive with words. Whereof comes what comes of that? Envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, perverse disputing of men, of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is Godliness.

All these, he says, withdraw from those things. Those are the footprints in the wrong direction. Turn around. Go the other way. What do you do? But Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Are you content? Where you are? Where do you complain? I always say, why should I complain it the way God decided to mold me? Why should you complain it the way God decides to mold you?

Something's really miserable. Maybe he's got some lesson for you to learn in it.

Maybe the lesson is so you can go through it so that you can understand someone else who's going through it. So you can help someone else. Look at the things that God gives you as gifts for the future. Verse 7, where he brought nothing into this world, it's certain we'll carry nothing out. Yeah, I've seen a few funerals and they don't take anything with them. They get dressed up and put in a coffin and put in the ground. And all those things that you were so proud of that sat on the walls, little trophies, the mementos, the things you did and that, that are great stories. I have a whole room full. I have a little museum room in my house, almost, and great stories.

But after you die, what happens to them? It's just junk to somebody else, most of it. Although I've got a few things that are nice, I'm sure my kids will sell. But that's my business training.

But most of it is just stories and pieces that are gone when you go. Not that valuable. You don't take it with you. You only take your character, recorded in your human spirit. You've got holes to put back when he resurrects you, gives you a new body. That's what it's about. You don't take it with you. And having food and arraignment, let us be content. Be content with that. Israel had food, and they're closed it, and we're out in the wilderness, but they weren't content with that.

I'm looking forward to a place of safety, hopefully, where I can find out what being content with food.

Actually, it won't be so hard, because we won't be talking about Egypt. Egypt has all this good stuff, but we know what the world is going to be going through, and we'll be glad to be where we are, if we're protected from that. But we have to be content. Verse 9, They that will be rich fall into temptation and the snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all evil, and it is a root, not the root, which, while some covet it after it, they have erred from the faith, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. I had a successful man come to the business club, Ambassador Watts. I was over at the business club, and he came and spoke. He had been in the church at one time, very successful. It was interesting when he was talking. He talked about himself.

He made this comment about money. He said, you've got to be aware of making too much money. He says, with money, you can buy sin, which is kind of interesting, because you can. And too many people, with too much time and too much money, have gotten into all sorts of trouble.

And you start thinking your money can do things for you, and it can't do anything more than it can do good things if you use it for other people and help. But it can tear you apart. You use it wrongly. Too many people have. But you, verse 11, you, O man of God, hopefully you, all of us are that, women of God. What do you do? Flee these things. Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. I find that order interesting. Follow after righteousness.

If you're looking at righteousness, you're trying to be like God, godliness. And if you're like God, and you understand that, you have faith in God. If you have the faith that God has, you love God.

If you love God, you develop patience. Because you know God's in charge. And then you're meek, because you understand that. These things kind of follow after each other. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, for unto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses. Footprints. If you have witnesses, someone's seen you. Someone's seen the footprints that you've left.

Many witnesses. That's what you should leave for them.

And I give you charge, Timothy, in the sight of God, who quickens all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before upon his palace, witnessed the good confession. Yeah, he was the king. He told him that. And what do you do? That you keep this commandment without spot, that none can rebuke, until after the appearing, our Lord Jesus Christ. If you're doing it right, nobody can rebuke it spiritually. They may want to condemn you physically, like they condemn Christ, but they can't take the spiritual away, because we have our Lord and Savior. We did it before us.

And that's where immortality comes from. Verse 17, dropping down, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. He's promising us all of eternity. When we do, I talk to a lot of rich people in church.

Don't want to be careful. If you want to play a game with rich people, if you want to be rich, then play the game. Pass it forward. Give thanks to other people, and ask them to help someone else, after they're helped. That's something that's very encouraging. If any of you have ever done that, it makes you feel good, because you're doing something that carries on beyond you. And it spreads. Kind of like the little movie, Pay It Forward, which you've seen in this good movie. People can. They do the right things.

Verse 18, They that do good, they that be rich in good works, ready to distribute, to give to others, willing to communicate, laying up store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may hold on to eternal life. There's a lot of people laying out stuff for themselves now. It's interesting how many emails I get for survival food, that tasteless sawdust that keeps you alive, but doesn't do much else.

But you lay it up. Why? So you can survive. But we lay up spiritual things. True survival, spiritually. That's what we do. We keep that. In the Exorcist Timothy, verse 20, Keep that which is committed to your trust. Keep what I've told you. Hang on to it, because people will try to take it away. Avoid profane and vain babblings. In opposition of science, falsely so-called, there's evolution today. They fought battles like that before, where scientific things, things that God does you can't prove people want to deny, or people who don't want to follow God. With some professing of error concerning the faith, a lot of people have confessed and erred just the wrong things. We have to follow Christ in His will.

Christ was willing to die on the cross for us. I always wondered when He was on the cross if He thought about all the things He did when He delivered other people, because He knew He wasn't going to be delivered physically.

We can't get discouraged. Christ didn't. I know He faced His death. And He asked when He said, Not my will but yours. He asked to be removed, but He recognized that wasn't God's will. But we can get discouraged. Turn to Matthew 28, if you will.

Because sometimes we don't see the footprint so clearly. We don't necessarily see Christ as clearly as we should, and we may turn off the path and go some other way. Because even after three and a half years with Christ, even after the miracles, even though they cast their careers aside to follow Christ, they went back to it. They thought it was over when He died, and Christ had to come back physically, visibly, that is. He was spiritual, but physical for Him to show Him. Even after the resurrection, they doubted.

Matthew 28, verse 16, turning down there. Then the eleven disciples went away to Galilee, into the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him. But some doubted. They doubted. Going over a parallel thing, Luke 24, if you turn over there.

Because Mary, His mother, doubted. Other people doubted. Luke 24, verse 1, the first day of the week, very early in the morning, before it was dark, so we know He had resurrected before Sunday.

Of course, three days and three nights comes out the Saturday afternoon.

But they go to the sepulcher, they go to the grave, and they brought the spices, which they had prepared. If they really believed, why did they prepare spices? It always bothered me in the movie. I went and saw the movie about Christ's death. And Mary is saying, ah, now it's done. She knew all this stuff was happening. Now, if she knew this stuff was happening, why did she bring spices the first day of the week? She didn't know either. Her son was dead. And so she came there with the spices prepared and bringing others with them. And verse 2 of Luke 24, they found the stone rolled away from the grave, and they entered and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. They were looking for His body. They brought the spices to prepare it after being with Him. His whole life, Mary was with Him. And it came to pass, they were perplexed. Where's the body? Behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Of course, they were angels. And they were afraid and bowed to the ground, faces to the earth, and said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why are you looking for a body? He's not here. He's risen. Remember how He spoke to you when He was in Galilee? Didn't He tell you this? Yes, He did several times, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified. And the third day, rise again. It's been three days. Why are you looking for Him?

And it says, when they said this, they remembered His words. Oh, yeah, He did say that.

You've done that as husband and wife. Oh, yeah, you did tell me to get that, didn't you? Oh, okay. I didn't get it, did I? Yeah, I hear that sometimes. Okay. But they remembered at that point. They returned from the grave, and they told this to the eleven and all the rest.

And it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other woman that were with them, which told these things to the apostles. Verse 11, Their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Now they had the words of Christ, and they had some witnesses, and they still what? Didn't believe. Christ left footprints of, ah, we don't see Him now. I don't think so. You know, I think you're hallucinating. We can think people are nuts sometimes. Sometimes they are, but not in this case. Peter arose and ran to the grave and stooped down, beheld the clothes laid by him, wondering in himself what had come past. What happened?

Again, they thought they stole the body, maybe. They thought something else had happened or whatever. Then the story of the men from Emmaus, verse 13. Two of them that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs. Verse 14. They walked together and talked of these things that had happened. It came to pass. While they communed together in reason, Jesus Himself drew new and went with them. But their eyes were blocked. They didn't know who He was. Always wondered. It's fun to walk along with someone. They don't know who you are.

Probably have heard that before. You walk behind somebody. They're talking about you, and they don't know you're there. Remember, after Mr. Armstrong died, I was going to give a sermon. I came in late and sat down, and the lady next to me, oh, I can't wait to hear Aaron Dean speak.

Didn't know who I was. I announced my name, and she almost fainted.

She thought I was an older person. Obviously, someone that young couldn't have worked for him.

I'm slowly getting old. My kids already think I got there a long time ago.

But I turned 60 this month. But I don't think that's old yet. I think 90 is old.

I've got 30 years left, at least. But Christ is there walking with them. They don't know who He is. They can't see who He is. Their eyes were blocked. They couldn't recognize Him. Verse 17. He said to them, what communication are these you're talking about? Why are you so sad?

One of them said, his name was Cleopas. He answered him, are you truly a stranger in Jerusalem that you didn't know what's happened these last three days? I mean, this guy was killed, the earthquake, the sun was dark, the veil was round. I mean, you know, you must have been out of town. Far out of town. And he said to them, what things?

That'd be fun. I mean, he'd lived through it. He was rather ragged. He knew exactly what happened.

And what things? What is it? And they said to Him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty indeed, and word before all the people, a mighty prophet was there. And now the chief priests, our rulers, delivered Him to be condemned to death. They crucified Him.

And we trusted it was Him who was going to redeem us. He was going to save us, and He's dead.

He was leaving all these footprints, and they stopped.

And besides this, this is the third day since all these things were to happen.

Yeah. They didn't see it.

And they talked about the women going there and didn't find His body. And they saw the vision of the angels.

And it was interesting. Verse 25, He said to them, O you fools, slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. You've read those Old Testament scriptures for your whole life.

Are you fools? Ought not Christ, to have suffered these things and entered into His glory?

Isn't this what they said was going to happen?

Beginning at Moses and the prophets, He expounded them. All the scriptures. Now, that would be a great sermon to hear. All the scriptures are expounding.

To have someone sit there and say, this is going to happen, this is going to happen, this is going to happen, this is going to happen. And didn't this guy do all these things? I'm sure he's sitting there. You know, to have every prophecy about Christ, to have Christ Himself telling you, this was said, it was done by it. This was said, it was done by it. This was said, it was done by it. I'd love to have that sermon. I wish they'd have listed it all here, but we just know He gave it to them. And they got to hear it. Beginning with Moses and all the prophets. And then they asked Him to go with them and stay with them. And He said, He went in and broke bread with them, verse 30. And their eyes were open, verse 31. And they knew Him and He vanished. He disappeared. Oh, now we know who it was. And they said, didn't our hearts burn on us? Did He talk with us that way? Did He open the scriptures to us? Didn't we kind of say, yeah, we should have seen that? It was Him, His footprints. And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together. And they were excited. And they said, the Lord has risen indeed. He's appeared to Simon. And they told us what things were done in the way and how He was known of them, the breaking of bread. And they spoke. Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said, Peace to you. Oh, wow! Oh, man! Yeah, I guess they're starting to believe finally. They took Him being there in the room. It would be nice if He just appeared right here and then all you'd believe too. Now, we believe without saying because we know what happened. We have faith. And what happened in verse 37? They were terrified and frightened. They thought they'd seen the Spirit. It's still a little problem here.

And He said, Are you troubled? Why do your thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands, my feet. All this. And He showed it to them. Verse 45, He opened their eyes and they understand that they might understand the Scriptures. He finally said, Come on, this is what it said. Understand. And they did.

They needed to keep their eyes on a living Christ. At that point, they saw a dead Christ until He came and opened their eyes. But they had a problem because they didn't have the Holy Spirit.

And we had the Holy Days to show us the track that God put us on from Passover, Christ's death, through Unleavened Bread and our sins, Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, Trumpets soon to come, the resurrection, Christ's return, Atonement, putting away Satan, the Millennial Rule of Christ, and then the judgment. Because they're all there, but we need the Holy Spirit and we have it. Matthew 5, we turn there. They had a problem. They didn't have the Holy Spirit.

And when they heard Christ before, they didn't really understand what His message was totally, just as the world doesn't understand. We have to live differently. Our footprints are different from the world. Matthew 5, verse 3, Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs are the kingdom of heaven. How many people want to be poor in spirit in this world? They want to be happy. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. This world wants you to be happy.

And yet mourning is the time for that. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. This world wants to have pride and money and everything and celebrity status. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness. They shall be filled. Most people want to be filled with dainties and food and money and what you can buy. Blessed are the merciful. They shall obtain mercy. Most people want justice, at least for others, but not for themselves.

But they don't often give mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Our society today is not pure in heart. The reality shows I'll teach you to lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead. And you have to have a pure heart. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. True peace, not a fake peace. The world doesn't have peace. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Many of you have lost jobs. Many people in the church have had to be persecuted in different ways. Some actually physically persecuted.

And they shall say, All mantle of evil against you falsely for my sake.

This world wants to be praised. That's why so many people give in. It says, Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets which were before you. We should expect it in this world because we look for something different. Sometimes people come into the church unaware and even make us feel that way.

There are splits and divisions of things that happen that shouldn't, but they do. But what are our footsteps? Verse 13, You are the salt of the earth.

The world may not see it, but that's what you are. If the salt lost its saver, for which shall it be salted? It tends forth good for nothing, but to be cast out, trodden under foot. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick to give light.

Verse 16, Let your light so shine before men. Let your footsteps be seen and be followed. That they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Not to think you are good, not to build your pride, but to glorify God.

That's where the pride should be in God, because He is the one who did it.

In verse 17, Scripture that people that think the law was done away don't like, think not that I came to destroy the law of the prophets, I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill, to make you want to keep the Sabbath day, to make you want to do the laws, not the physical words that thou shalt not kill, but don't hate.

Not physically the Sabbath you get stoned if you don't do it, but because you love it, you love God, and all the commands that way, enlarging them.

For, realize, say, till heaven and earth pass, not one jot or tittle shall in any wise pass from the law till it be fulfilled. Now, when we are spirit beings and the world is gone, there won't be a need for the Sabbath rest for us in the same way.

But whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, shall teach men, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever shall do and teach them, the saints shall be called great in the kingdom. How can you teach it if you don't live it?

The example speaks louder. Verse 20, Except your righteousness, succeed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees. Like Paul said, they did it all, blameless, unless you exceed that, you should be blameless, but not because you are earning it, and not because you have to force others.

But you do it because you are setting footsteps like Christ said.

Often we do as Peter did. We look at other people. John 21, Christ told Peter what was going to happen to him. He told him how he was going to die. John 21, 19, after he told him someone was going to carry him off, go where he doesn't want to go, his hands would be stretched apart, and he would be crucified as well.

And he said, this he spoke, signifying what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken it, he said to him, follow me. Follow me, Peter.

It's interesting to know you're going to die and to know how you're going to die.

Thankfully, most of us don't know how that is. Often, one of the two witnesses spent three and a half years knowing how they're going to die. It would be interesting to see how they prepare themselves for that. But it was interesting. In verse 20, Peter, turning about, seeing the disciple whom Jesus loved, John, that is, leaned on his breast and said, who betray me? Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, what shall be this man's end? What's going to happen to him? Is he going to die? Is he going to be crucified? You guys want to know what's going to happen to him? Fairness. Jesus said, if I tarry till he comes, if I will that he tarry till I come, what's that to you? You follow me. You worry about your footsteps, not his footsteps.

Of course, they thought that John wouldn't die till Christ came, and he died from 1900 years ago.

It happened. But after receiving the Holy Spirit, they understood more. They were able to follow Christ's footsteps, leave footprints of their own for us, yielding to him. But it was through God's power and his Holy Spirit, and through Christ, not their own. And that's why you tell this in Matthew 28, 18, that all power in heaven and earth is given to me. And then I'll be there with you. Go and teach the nations in my name. Teach all these things and observe all these things.

Make footprints, same as I left for you, and observe those things I commanded you.

That's our commission. Footprints that change the world. Footprints that change the direction for those who follow. And it won't be easy. All of us go through trials and tests. 1 Peter 1, verse 7. God is going to help you leave your footprints.

Verse 7, 1 Peter 1, Paul, writing that the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes. Trials are precious because they teach you something, and they help you. They let you leave footprints. Though it be tried with fire, it might be found to praise and honor in glory at the appearing of Christ. There's glory involved when Christ appears. And it's to God's glory that He helps us. 1 Peter 1, verse 8, 2, 1 Versa, who, having not seen, you love, and who, differ now you see him not, will be you rejoice with unspeakable joy full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

We're going to see Christ when He comes, And hopefully our footprints can help others. Verse 16, it is written, Be you holy, for I am holy. Live a life that is righteous. If you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

Fearing God, not fear from God, but God will help you. Verse 22, Seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. Being born again, not of corruptible sea, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever. We're sawing character by living the life we live, by leaving footprints for years.

What kind of footprints do you leave? Don't doubt. Christ will help you. I've seen it happen so many times, Mr. Armstrong. I've seen it happen for me. I've seen it happen to many of the members in the church that have been helped. God is there. I'm happy to have left a financial blueprint for the students to follow. But if that's all it is, that's miserable. Because I'm more concerned that the financial is only a temporary joy. The footprints that I want them to follow are that of Christ and that of character and of obedience, to make a stable family in the image of God.

That's what's important. Certainly being successful now is not an impediment if you have God in Christ. Many people were rich in the Bible that did well. Job was rich. Abraham was rich. But it can be a problem if you let it be, if you see that instead of the true riches of God. I hope I've encouraged young men and women to follow Christ, to do as He did.

We're about to embark on a series of feasts where we'll be exposed to other people beyond our neighbors and our jobs, especially Tabernacles with a group of people where the whole community sees you. They know who you are. They know what you stand for. They know you're different. If they see things that are wrong, they're going to say, well, you're just like the rest of the world. If they see things that are right and godly, they'll know you're different. People will know who you are. You can't hide in the crowd.

And you're leaving a footprint. Will it be like Christ in permanent or will it be like footprints in the sand, that when the wave washes up, they go away? I pray not.

I pray that you will truly follow and leave a footprint in every aspect of your life, one that people can see that reflects God in Christ. That you also can say, live as I live. Follow me as I follow Christ. Whether you're a parent, a child, you need to live a life that others can refer to your example so that they know that you have a life well lived.

And it's, follow me as I follow Christ. We all make mistakes. Make sure that part is there. Follow those as they follow Christ. If you want to be in God's family, you'd better leave a footprint like Christ left. And that means proving all things.

Knowing what you believe, knowing what you're willing to die for, knowing where you stand. Christ's physical footprints end at the cross. His spiritual footprints go on forever. And you have helped to do it. Philippians 1, verse 6, in closing. Paul writes to Philippians 1, 6. He says, Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. He gave you His Spirit, He's begun the work, He'll finish it if you don't fight Him, if you yield to Him, if you let Him.

In verse 9, And this I pray, that your love may abound, and yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that you may approve things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. That's what it's about, to the glory and the praise of God. As we approach these feasts, may we help each other to rededicate our lives and our spiritual future and leave a footprint of perfection for others to follow.