The Way Ahead

Good afternoon, everyone! It's good to be here with you all. By the way, I forgot to tell Mr. Barker I almost had to call him Wednesday night and tell him I wasn't going to be able to get my sermon. I came down with the dirty flu. You know the one where you just keep going and going? For about 12 or 14 hours? I'm sure glad that was over with. I hope you all had a real good week. I hope that everything is going well. You know, it was just 35 days ago, but we were here on the Sabbath. Can you believe that? Five weeks ago. We had a great weekend. There we had Passover on Friday evening. Then the next day we had services, Sabbath services, that evening. We had a night to be observed and remembered. The next day was the first day of eating the Unleavened Bread. Seven days. At that time, we were pushing on that we are to put sin out of our lives, right? Keep it out of our lives. And of course, before Passover and that, we had looked at ourselves. I'm sure we've all found a few things, some more than others, like myself, but otherwise. And we were working on them. And we said, boy, I'm going to make sure I don't do that again this year. Well, you know, you ever remember people making New Year's Eve resolutions? You used to hear these people get up when I was younger, and they'd say, well, I'm going to do this and this and that, and I'm going to do that. Within 30 to 45 days, 90% of them weren't doing this and that because they'd forgot. And it's really inconvenient, or they didn't really want to do it. You and I do not have that option. We are here to make sure that we are changing. We have to be changing to do God's way at all times, because until we are, we can fall back into the grips of Satan. And we certainly don't want that. So my question today is, how are you doing after 35 days? Have you stopped to take a look? Maybe get down your list or go down whatever you had and say, let me see. Yeah, I'm taking care of that one pretty good. Yeah, I maybe missed that a little bit. I better get more on that. Have we studied a little bit more? Are we praying a little bit more? Because this world we live in is truly a mess. And it's probably not going to get any better. Because from what we're hearing coming out of Washington, D.C., they're going to raise taxes, they're going to do all this and that and that. We have a crisis at the border and all that. So everybody in the United States is going to pay for what's going on. And since we're in this wonderful country, God bless us to be in. We're going to be taking a part of that, sorry to say.

I've had I changed my sermon I was going to give this week. A couple weeks ago, it just shows how sometimes you do not know what your example is. And it surely made me think about how that you can slip into something and not even know it. You know, we read about David with Bathsheba and all that, you know, and we read about other men. We talked about Peter, where he denied Christ three times. And you're saying, well, how in the world could they do that? I would never do that. Oh, yes, you would. Yes, you would. Because we probably go something against God every day when we sin. So that's all they did. They sinned. And that's not all they did. But, of course, it took and they did it. But even David did not realize he was sinning until who told him. And then what do you do? Once he realized it, he repented immediately. And that's what you and I need to keep in our minds as we go through this year and every year that we have to recognize sin and put it out quickly. So I'm going to tell a story myself since the Holy Days. Not proud of it, okay? But how is our light shining to others? Are we worried just about spiritual shining? I don't believe so. It's supposed to be physical and spiritual. Because we can be doing spiritually right, everything maybe, and yet physically, we're not setting the right example before people. Because spiritually, we're studying, we're praying, and we think we're taking care of things. But on the other hand, we may be nasty to a waitress, we may be nasty to our co-workers, and think that's all right. And you can justify it. It's amazing how we can justify things. So I'm going to tell you something that I justified.

My daughter's living with me. I think I told you my daughter Kim's living with me. A couple weeks ago, my daughter, I should say, helped me, see one of my problems, or show me, ask me, but really she told me. She was loving, but she told me, okay? And she said, dad, I want to help you clean out your garage. Uh-oh. Now we're getting personal. Now we're getting personal. And I said, well, you know, it's, you know, yeah, dad, I know, I know. I said, well, you know, she says, but dad, I want to help you clean out your garage.

Mom would like to have you clean out the garage. I'd heard that a couple times. And of course, I made those good excuses. Well, you know, I had these couple rentals, and I'm doing this, and well, I'm thinking about doing this, and I got this, so I have, well, anyhow, I have a garage full, okay? My wife can't park her car in the garage.

So I looked at myself and I said, you know, if I'm to be a good example, I'm surely not being a good example. And boy, that hurts to look at yourself and say, wow, I didn't look at myself. I had a point, first blank in front of me saying, you need to do this, dad, in a loving way. So guess what? For two weeks now, we've been working on my garage.

Kind of embarrassing to admit it to all of you. But the point is, you know, we can't change and we can't repent until we admit we're doing wrong. And that's what God says we have to do. We have to repent. And repent means what? Changing whatever way we're going. Whether it be a spiritual sin or a physical sin, if we're offending somebody else, that's a sin. Physical and spiritual, maybe, how we did it. Now, you know, we all came out 35 days ago, knowing that we were going to do better this year than last. But you see, I had uncovered what you might call a physical sin that offended my wife and probably my family, because now they're laughing at me. They're saying, you remember when you had this just spot where you could just barely walk down, dad, so you could get this out of the refrigerator or freezer? Yeah. My point is, we're to be the light to the world. So, my wife and them aren't in the church. So, even if they see me studying or know I study, know I pray, know I give sermons, they're probably saying, well, he sure needs to clean his act up, because this isn't quite what I think it should be.

Aren't we glad God is merciful? But you know, when you look at yourself and you finally admit it, and you know we all can make those excuses I was talking about, we realize that we're no different than Israelites sinning, because when we sin, there's only one person we sin against. That's God the Father.

And we don't want to be sinners, because if we stay sinners and we push under the cupboard or underneath the thing so it won't be seen, it doesn't make a thing. God knows we're not doing the right thing. We're not representing God the Father.

Turn with you in Matthew 5.14. You know what it says? It says, we're to become the light of the world.

Verse 14, Matthew 5, it says, You are the light of the world, a city that is hid on a hill cannot be hidden. Nudely light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. When people look at us, who are in the church around the church, do they see a difference? Do they think they would like to be like us? That we're kind, we're generous, whatever it may be. We're not confrontational. Whatever it may be, are we this way before people? Are we keeping God's law spiritually and physically? Because if we're setting the right example, others will want to see why we are as we are. And that's exactly what God has us here for when He called us. He called us to be examples to each other, but also to the world.

And we know that, but all I'm saying is, is there anything that we hide or don't want to admit? You know? Because, well, when it's me, you say, well, no, wait a minute, you know, no, no, no, I'm okay, you know. None of us are perfect. None of us are great. Only Jesus Christ was perfect. We have Passover every year because we need Passover, because we need to sacrifice Jesus Christ so that we can go on and continue to grow so we can be in God's family. We do not want to be a bad example of God's way of life. Our calling is to be a bright, shining example, a light that cannot be hid, and the people will see and want to know and be with that light, because that's the light we're following is Jesus Christ right on to God the Father. That's where we want to be.

Turn with me to Ephesians 5, 8, if you would. Here we are reminded. In verse 8 it says, For you were once darkness, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is all goodness, righteousness, and truth, proving what is acceptable to the Lord.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. We need to be willing to be exposed that we're the fruits of God's Spirit. And you and I need to be sure that we're following in the path of Jesus Christ, because He definitely showed us the way. He definitely died a horrible death, that each of us would have the opportunity to be with Him and God's family for eternity. We're to walk in the lights of God's way of life, spiritually and physically, every day of our life. And the more we do that, the brighter our light will shine.

And more people will want to see what we know, whether it be family, friends, people we run into, people at work. They want to know why you're different. Because if they get to know you a little bit, they're going to know that you are different because they'll say, well, you know, He's one of those guys that goes to church on Sabbath, on Saturday, He calls it. Or she won't do this stuff because she says, you know, she can't do it on Friday night because she keeps the Sabbath.

They won't mock you. If they really care, they're going to know why you keep the Sabbath. And why is the Sabbath on Saturday or instead of Sunday when everybody else, 95% of the people go to church on Sunday. And if they're sincere, you may be saying it light before them, and they could possibly come in God's church.

And if they're sincere, because of your example, that's the light you and I are to be. We're to be the light that brings others to God's truth, just as God opened our minds, and we want to be a part of His family. I don't know how many of you were really looking to being in church. When I was coming in church, I went to Church of Christ, and I just happened to be renting a room.

The doctor in Vandalia, and him and his wife had just come into the church. And he saw that I read the Bible, or his wife did when she cleaned my room. And he told me one day, he said, you should go to Ambassador College. And I said, Ambassador College never hurt such a place. He told me where it was at.

Well, he was in his first love. Oh, he was excited. He told me a lot of things. You know, I'm sure a few of us have done that, just went on and on, and down, down, and I understand this. So, anyhow, I did finally send for the magazine, got some booklets. Sure enough, I went back to my minister in Church of Christ. And I thought a lot of him, but after about four visits with him going home every weekend, I looked at him.

I said, Don, the minister's name was Don. I said, you need to read the plain truth. And that's the last time I saw him. But the point was, I went with him on different things, showed him. I said, No, no. I said, and you know, you're the one who taught me to tithe. He taught me to tithe. Took him, I think, six or eight sermons because they were like srimonets.

But he did teach me. I tithed before I came into church. He taught me that. So I thought he'd be thrilled to hear. Guess what? He wasn't so thrilled. So anyhow, but you know, that's what you and I have to realize. The couple that came in with me, the wife died. She was in the church, the man he left a few years later, sorry to say. But God used them to help me get into God's church, and by their example, that's why I wanted to find out what was going on.

You know, because I wanted to know more. And I know we all did when we started understanding God opened our mind and saying, Whoa, I can't wait to get this piece of literature. Man, I got to read this now, right? Whoa, whoa, I don't need to eat right now. Let me read this. I got to, you know, are we that way now?

We should be. We should love every bit of piece of literature we get, because that is teaching you and I helping reinforce our understanding of God and making us so we can have that faith, hope, and love for God. And then that we will what? Trust and obey and do His will. God has called us to be doers.

We've been called to be ambassadors. He tells us that in 2 Corinthians 5, 20. Let's turn there.

The apostle was saying, Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf to be reconciled to God.

And every time we sin and make a mistake, and we will because we're human, that's what God wants you and I to do.

Because we're His ambassadors, and He doesn't want us to leave. He has love, time, and blessings that He has given us. He doesn't want you to lose Him. He doesn't want me to lose Him. And we have to realize that we've got to be sure that we obey our God. We have to realize that we must every day study and pray. Have you ever thought how strong we will be in today's world? When you see people with this, a tablet, or a computer, if you and I spend as much time in God's Word as we do on computers, on telephones, do you not realize how strong you and I will be?

If you and I spent an hour a day, which I know many people spend many hours a day on telephones and computers, it's a part of the world. It's part of deception and taking our time. Satan knows that if he can get our time away from God, he can get to us. Because everybody says, oh, I've got to answer my phone. Oh, did you see on Facebook? Oh, no. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I've got three teenage kids at home, or two teenage, 111. I want to tell you what, these people know everything there is on this computer, and they're our smartest tax. Don't get me wrong.

But they spend hours. I don't mean an hour or two. I'm talking about hours on computers, on different games. I mean, they play these games. We cannot do this. We have to prioritize our time.

Just like I had to prioritize cleaning out my garage.

Because it was full of junk.

Because I really didn't need three truckloads of it. Okay, three truckloads of junk, which I didn't really have to have.

Accumulated. You thought you'd use. Didn't use all this and that. So, all it became was something cluttery in your life.

Now, I remember in a sports club years ago, this is going to hurt. Anyhow, there was a guy in club giving a speech. Well, he was at a topic station. He had tried for three weeks to convince the club that we needed to get wine glasses and have wine at Spokesman Club. This is going to kill me. He did a horrible job. After the third week, I remember what he said to this man. And sorry to say, I probably giggled. He said, you such and such are a good example of a bad example.

Folks, that is what I've been to my wife and family with my garage. I've been a good example of a bad example. It's a physical example. And you know, I look at now and I can see through the garage. It's almost cleaned out totally. It's like, wow, it's a whole new world in here, you know.

But a few weeks ago, I could have given you a reason for everything. My daughter is kind to me when she's throwing my stuff out. She says, dad, do you really need this? Well, no. Okay. You know, hey, come on. Dad, do you need this? Well, I can, it's gone. You know, if I didn't say yes now, it's gone. And then, ladies, you're going to love this.

The biggest thing that my daughter told me her day, she said, dad, we took the truck on that one load while you was gone. She said, I never saw a woman so happy in my life while throwing stuff off that truck in the dump. Ladies are smiling. But you know, it's true. I've been a bad example. I've been a good example of a bad example. And I hope for my embarrassing situation and telling you all this, you will take a look at yourselves. We all will.

How are we spending our time? Are we accumulating God's Spirit in us? Are we studying and praying, repenting and growing? Or are we making excuses for whatever we really do not want to take responsibility for?

Our God is merciful and loving, and He has called you and I to be ambassadors, an example of this world.

And I hope that you and I will truly realize as an ambassador, everybody looks at you if you live in a foreign country. And we are basically foreigners here in the United States because we think differently than the rest of the world.

In Ephesians 6, 20, once again, it tells us that we're ambassadors.

We can only stay ambassadors if we continue to do as we are told by the true King and Father that we serve.

As the Apostle said, let's go back to 19. No, I guess let's go back to 18. Verse 18, praying all these with all prayer and supplications in the Spirit, being watchful to the end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. And for me, that utterance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

The only way we can speak boldly is if we have God's Spirit working in us. And us being a light to the world. Because ambassadors do not stay ambassadors if they're not doing the job, if they are not representing the country they're from.

Which means we understand God's way of life. We know God's laws. We know to obey God's laws. And we know the calling that you and I have. Our calling is to be in God's new Jerusalem.

And He always promised to take care of us if we're doing His will. The only time that there's lights ever had any trouble was when He turned away from God. And then I think as pointed out a few weeks ago, even then, whenever they cleared out an area, they always seemed to leave some junk, as I'll call it, which I had, junk out and then clear up the whole country. So guess what? They started having junk again. They junk filled up their lives again and who'd they forget? They quit doing what God the Father said. They forgot the blessings. We need not to ever forget the blessing of the understanding. I love Nick's song just before I got up. We are the lights. We're the lights that God has chosen you to be. He chose you for a reason. He chose each of us for a reason. He has a place for us in His kingdom.

We need to make sure that we don't lose that place because of letting junk get in our way, that Satan may throw away spiritually or physically. We need to make sure that you and I look to God every day, pray through Jesus. Always be thankful. Always be thankful because when we're thankful, we can smile. When we're thankful, guess what? When we're thankful, we're happy. I forget who gave it. It said, how many times was it Mr.

Oh, it was a couple weeks ago when he said about a baby smiling and then adults over some. What was it? 200 to 4? Something like that average. Or was it more than that? I forget. But anyhow, there's a huge difference. A little child smiles so many times a day, and a person over 40 or 45 smiled four times, I think, on the average. Or laughed, whatever, would smile. Because you always see little kids are smiling. You know, how can you not love a child when you see a little grin on their face? You know, I mean, nothing melts grandparents' hearts like grandchildren yelling your name when they come in the door. Where are you at, Poppy? Where are you at, Grammy? You know, nothing like it. Nothing at all.

Somebody's talking to me.

But we have to understand, and we do, but you see, as Satan is so deceiving, he steals our time. And when he steals our time, whose time is he stealing it from? From God to Father. From doing God's will, from studying God's way of life. Can you imagine if my grandchildren spent five, six hours a day reading the Bible, and God gave them understanding, they would absolutely be super giants in God's truth.

But I'd say my grandkids are four to six hours a day on a computer of some sort, or something. And I don't know how much time you spend on one, but I spend too much time now. And I remember hearing, what was his name? Sandy's boy. When he gave a sermon here, a date and years ago, he said he liked getting on Facebook or something. He said, but you know, he said, that's addictive. And you know, it is. It is addictive. Satan makes that way. He makes everything that way to distract us from what we are to do. We have been called out of this world. We are not to be a part of this world in any way.

And of course, we don't want to admit it when we do make mistakes. And that's why we have to be close to God. So when we do make a mistake, we do sin, we repent immediately and do not carry that sin with us and continue to drag us down. Because if you put one sin on you as 10 pounds, well, you can get away with it. You know what I'm saying? You can go on and say, well, I'm not too bad, maybe. Put two sins on there. You got 20 pounds.

What happens when you get 12 or 15?

Kind of hard to walk, isn't it? Pulling that many sins in your life puts a drag on you or a drag on me. So all I'm trying to do today is help us to understand it's only been 35 days.

And we were at a high. I mean, we had a great weekend. We had a good food. We had good fellowship, good spiritual meat. And I'd say we left on that Sunday. I think we're probably a little tired because it was a big weekend, but we were happy. We had rejoiced with God for three straight days.

God's holy days. And we've been with each other. We were fed His word. We were fed good physical food. Those who came to the thing, I'm sure everyone had the meal, had good food on the night to be.

But we had Passover, came out of there, cleaned sheep.

And then we started, what?

God, seven times, seven days, remind us to eat. I forgot to bring my bread. I was going to bring one piece of one lemon bread left. I was going to bring it and crack it.

But every day when we ate it, we cracked it. Or that little crack, and you fixed it and you ate it. And every day, we're supposed to remember that you and I were the reason that Christ died, that horrible death. And His loving Father gave Him for that purpose. Ask Him to do it. Go down. And as you saw, He loved the people. He loved the people. He loved those who served with Him. He healed how many? Like they say, probably not enough pages for all the stuff He did in His 30-some years to put in. And yet, one day, you and I will know everything that He did. And we will understand the greatness of Him more than ever.

That's the opportunity you and I have, as He said, to prepare a place for those who do obey and those who do come into God's Kingdom. You and I do have a place prepared for us. Whatever your name is, put on a door and say, there's where you're at. It's going to be better than any place you and I have ever seen on earth.

And there's been some beautiful places made, I'm sure. But I guarantee you, whatever God gives us, is going to be a lot better than anything we've ever seen. And most of all, we're going to be with Him and His Kingdom and His Holy City, New Jerusalem. But we must first get there. And then the tree that Adam and Eve resisted and took the tree of good and evil, the tree of life will be outside of New Jerusalem. And we'll be putting fruit out. There's three of them, if you remember back in Revelation. I think it's 21 or 22. I didn't have that in my notes. Let me go back and find it real quick. But it tells you there's fruit on each side of the river and one right in the middle. It changes fruit every month. You and I will have an opportunity to eat of the tree of life forever. Forever. And yes, I do not what means forever means. Because we can't get past thinking of 10 years, 50 years, 100 years. But we do have to. During this life span that we have, we have to stay true to God. And that's how we get to God's kingdom. Obeying and doing His will. Growing in His grace. We are to be a doer that talks about in James. We must be a doer every day. And with that, you and I will be in God's kingdom. We will be the ambassadors that He has called you and I to be. And we will become the leaders that God has called us to be for those who are called in the thousand year period. You and I are in training to be teachers. Don't say you don't want to be a teacher, because that's what we're working towards, each and every one of us. Some are good teachers now. But all of us are going to be teachers. And you got to remember, as it points out, in the body, every part of the body is important. You and I will be some part of the body of Jesus Christ and God the Father.

What we qualify for, that depends on how we use the talent or talents the living God gives us. But we are showing through this physical life we're in how dedicated we will be when we are truly the minority. We are definitely the minority.

We represent probably hundreds of thousands of people each. And you say, whoa, hundreds of thousands? Well, you look at probably all the churches that possibly around that I know of, the split-offs and everything else, if everybody is okay and everybody changes and repents and we all get together and do God's will, you're still not talking to that many people. And we're going to be representing God the Father to ever how many ever be. I know myself. I'm looking forward to it and I pray that I'm going to make the finish the race and I pray that all of us do, but I'm looking forward to seeing my brother who I never met die before I was born. I'm looking forward to being with my father and being with my father and being with my father. I'm looking forward to being with my father and my mother because they divorced when I was like three years old, so they never were together. And I'm going to be able to maybe show them how to train up a child, show them how to really love a child, how to live and not have to drink. You know, a life they've never thought of because they didn't know. They didn't have the opportunity. They didn't have the blessing of being called. You and I do. We can never thank God enough for the patience, the love, the mercy that He has given each and every one of us. And if we are patient and do as God says, everything works for good. Everything. Trouble with us as human beings is we get impatient. We get impatient or we throw trash on one side of your garage and don't get rid of it.

But we can't allow the trash to continue to build up. We have to knock it and take it out, say, oh, I can't do that again. Sending is trash.

Trash in our lives and will take us away from God.

We have the great opportunity and the great blessing of being with God for eternity. Let's be sure that you and I stay close to our Father. Let's be sure that you and I study. We must examine ourselves daily. We must stay close to God. And we are to please our God and be good examples spiritually and physically to all those we meet. It's not an easy job. We make it easier if we study, if we pray, and if we do, and if we don't allow trash to get into our lives. Because trash will build up on you quickly. And just like anyone else, you don't even realize it afterwards. When I see what I have now, it is so clear, because I can see it clears the back of the garage. But it's so clear now. And I realize, boy, what have you done? Lucky my wife hasn't killed me. You don't have to shake your head just back. I don't need that influence. It's okay, Catherine. Thank you. I appreciate that. But you know, it's true. We can't have the trash in our lives. We have to get rid of it. We just sin quickly. That it will not become a burden that we have to carry around and carry around until next passover sometimes, if we don't see it and remove it. What a drag that would be to carry on until next passover. So let's be sure and realize that we are examples to this world. We're examples to each other. God has called you and I to become that example. And I guarantee you, it's like any father. He is rooting for you and me to see the trash and put it out of our lives.

And become the son that he can love totally and realize that he's going to give you and me, or daughter, eternal life with him forever. And he will pour out the blessings on us.

So in closing, may we keep examining ourselves. May we keep the trash out of us. Let's grow and please our God to more study, more prayer, more obedience, more trusting and obeying, that we may grow even more as he wants us to grow and be part of that kingdom, the kingdom of God. And be the light to the world that we are to be, being trained for, that we will be able to guide, direct, and teach others in a thousand years and do whatever else God has planned for each of us in his world, the world tomorrow.