1 00:00:01,150 --> 00:00:04,350 Welcome to From the Pulpit in Classic Sermons. 2 00:00:04,850 --> 00:00:06,850 Each week we bring you a different message 3 00:00:06,850 --> 00:00:09,150 from some of history's greatest speakers in the 4 00:00:09,150 --> 00:00:12,570 Christian faith and powerful sermons from modern preachers 5 00:00:12,570 --> 00:00:12,930 too. 6 00:00:13,610 --> 00:00:16,310 This week we have William Blackburn with his 7 00:00:16,310 --> 00:00:19,350 message, How to Have a Miracle-Working Faith. 8 00:00:21,290 --> 00:00:26,110 The Bible says the just shall live by 9 00:00:26,110 --> 00:00:26,470 faith. 10 00:00:27,030 --> 00:00:29,430 You cannot know God without faith. 11 00:00:29,950 --> 00:00:33,270 Now you can know about God without faith, 12 00:00:33,330 --> 00:00:35,670 but you can't know God without faith. 13 00:00:36,030 --> 00:00:37,590 You may be here tonight, you may have 14 00:00:37,590 --> 00:00:39,650 walked an aisle sometime in your life and 15 00:00:39,650 --> 00:00:40,970 prayed a prayer and been baptized. 16 00:00:41,670 --> 00:00:44,010 You may have spent a long time in 17 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:44,610 Sunday school. 18 00:00:44,750 --> 00:00:46,330 You may have been sprinkled or confirmed. 19 00:00:46,530 --> 00:00:47,670 You may have taken catechism. 20 00:00:47,750 --> 00:00:49,210 You may have your name on a church 21 00:00:49,210 --> 00:00:51,810 roll somewhere, but that does not mean you 22 00:00:51,810 --> 00:00:52,990 know God in your heart. 23 00:00:53,630 --> 00:00:55,410 You've got to know God by faith. 24 00:00:55,950 --> 00:00:57,910 You cannot know God simply by religion. 25 00:00:58,370 --> 00:01:00,150 You cannot know God by simply being a 26 00:01:00,150 --> 00:01:01,870 good person and living a good life. 27 00:01:02,030 --> 00:01:03,489 In fact, the Bible says a lot of 28 00:01:03,489 --> 00:01:04,810 good people are going to hell. 29 00:01:05,070 --> 00:01:06,670 You can be the best person in town 30 00:01:06,670 --> 00:01:07,510 and go straight to hell. 31 00:01:07,550 --> 00:01:10,090 It's not goodness because the Bible says in 32 00:01:10,090 --> 00:01:11,690 you dwells no good thing. 33 00:01:11,770 --> 00:01:13,150 No matter how good you look on the 34 00:01:13,150 --> 00:01:14,890 outside, you see God looks at your heart 35 00:01:14,890 --> 00:01:17,490 tonight and you may have cleaned up your 36 00:01:17,490 --> 00:01:19,990 act for the folks around you, but God 37 00:01:19,990 --> 00:01:21,130 looks deep inside your heart. 38 00:01:21,190 --> 00:01:23,290 He sees in you dwells no good thing. 39 00:01:23,710 --> 00:01:25,270 If you were the best man, the best 40 00:01:25,270 --> 00:01:27,430 woman, the best teenager in all of Mississippi, 41 00:01:27,630 --> 00:01:29,810 without Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you 42 00:01:29,810 --> 00:01:30,950 will go straight to hell. 43 00:01:31,290 --> 00:01:32,650 You can be a member of every church. 44 00:01:32,730 --> 00:01:34,450 Your daddy can be a preacher or a 45 00:01:34,450 --> 00:01:34,710 deacon. 46 00:01:34,770 --> 00:01:36,270 Your mom can be a Sunday school teacher. 47 00:01:36,570 --> 00:01:38,090 You may have made a profession of faith. 48 00:01:38,190 --> 00:01:39,390 You may live your life in a church. 49 00:01:39,590 --> 00:01:41,750 You may even believe in God, but if 50 00:01:41,750 --> 00:01:43,530 you have not done what the Bible says 51 00:01:43,530 --> 00:01:45,110 to do and that is to repent of 52 00:01:45,110 --> 00:01:47,630 your sin and surrender your life to the 53 00:01:47,630 --> 00:01:50,790 Lord Jesus through faith, the Bible says God 54 00:01:50,790 --> 00:01:52,270 classifies you lost. 55 00:01:52,630 --> 00:01:54,170 Now this is not a Baptist thing. 56 00:01:54,470 --> 00:01:55,710 It's not a Methodist thing. 57 00:01:55,710 --> 00:01:57,250 It's not a Catholic thing. 58 00:01:57,310 --> 00:01:58,570 It's a God thing. 59 00:01:58,750 --> 00:02:01,690 God said, except a man be born again, 60 00:02:01,830 --> 00:02:04,150 he'll never see the kingdom of God. 61 00:02:04,150 --> 00:02:07,110 The Bible says the just, that is those 62 00:02:07,110 --> 00:02:09,250 who have been justified, those who have been 63 00:02:09,250 --> 00:02:13,190 really born again, the just shall live by 64 00:02:13,190 --> 00:02:14,250 faith. 65 00:02:14,490 --> 00:02:16,590 My friend, you are born again by faith 66 00:02:16,590 --> 00:02:18,110 and once you are born again by faith, 67 00:02:18,310 --> 00:02:19,570 you live by faith. 68 00:02:19,730 --> 00:02:22,070 It is faith in God that causes us 69 00:02:22,070 --> 00:02:24,030 to be able to know God and to 70 00:02:24,030 --> 00:02:26,210 walk with God and to live like God 71 00:02:26,210 --> 00:02:27,430 and to one day go to heaven to 72 00:02:27,430 --> 00:02:28,050 be with God. 73 00:02:28,330 --> 00:02:29,330 It is faith, friends. 74 00:02:29,530 --> 00:02:31,010 Faith is the most important thing you have 75 00:02:31,010 --> 00:02:33,170 in your life and the sad fact is 76 00:02:33,170 --> 00:02:34,830 that most folks don't have much faith. 77 00:02:35,570 --> 00:02:37,050 Even folks who have been born again don't 78 00:02:37,050 --> 00:02:39,470 have much faith, but my friends, the key 79 00:02:39,470 --> 00:02:41,370 to being a born-again believer is not 80 00:02:41,370 --> 00:02:43,650 trusting in yourself, not trusting in your good 81 00:02:43,650 --> 00:02:45,870 life, not trusting in your good works, but 82 00:02:45,870 --> 00:02:48,450 having faith in He who died on the 83 00:02:48,450 --> 00:02:50,570 cross to pay your sin debt and to 84 00:02:50,570 --> 00:02:52,810 live a holy and godly life. 85 00:02:53,210 --> 00:02:55,150 Once you are born again, you still must 86 00:02:55,150 --> 00:02:56,290 live by faith. 87 00:02:56,510 --> 00:02:59,570 You cannot trust your opinion or your circumstances 88 00:02:59,570 --> 00:03:01,550 or your talent or your ability. 89 00:03:01,770 --> 00:03:04,930 The just shall live by faith, by faith 90 00:03:04,930 --> 00:03:07,090 to be born again and then by faith 91 00:03:07,090 --> 00:03:09,310 to live like Jesus wants you to live. 92 00:03:09,450 --> 00:03:11,350 Friends, faith is the most important thing in 93 00:03:11,350 --> 00:03:11,830 your life. 94 00:03:12,190 --> 00:03:14,030 You can't be saved without faith. 95 00:03:14,050 --> 00:03:16,010 In fact, the Bible says in Ephesians 6, 96 00:03:16,270 --> 00:03:20,110 16, it says, above all taking the shield 97 00:03:20,110 --> 00:03:23,110 of faith wherewith ye shall be able to 98 00:03:23,110 --> 00:03:25,510 quench the fiery darts of the wicked. 99 00:03:25,510 --> 00:03:27,230 The Bible says the shield of faith. 100 00:03:27,590 --> 00:03:29,470 Hey friend, you're never gonna know God without 101 00:03:29,470 --> 00:03:31,790 faith and even after you're born again, you'll 102 00:03:31,790 --> 00:03:33,130 never be a dynamic Christian. 103 00:03:33,230 --> 00:03:35,330 You'll never be a warrior for Christ unless 104 00:03:35,330 --> 00:03:36,730 you take that shield of faith. 105 00:03:36,790 --> 00:03:38,810 You see, there's a real battle going out 106 00:03:38,810 --> 00:03:39,170 there. 107 00:03:39,410 --> 00:03:41,390 You see, there's a God in heaven, but 108 00:03:41,390 --> 00:03:44,150 there's a real devil and my friends, God, 109 00:03:44,370 --> 00:03:45,950 the forces of God and the forces of 110 00:03:45,950 --> 00:03:48,810 Satan are battling for your soul right now. 111 00:03:48,870 --> 00:03:50,430 Man, I want to tell you, there are 112 00:03:50,430 --> 00:03:52,050 some of you here tonight that Satan's winning 113 00:03:52,050 --> 00:03:53,150 the battle in your life. 114 00:03:53,290 --> 00:03:55,850 You're out there living in sin, drinking and 115 00:03:55,850 --> 00:03:57,930 running around, living like a devil and I 116 00:03:57,930 --> 00:03:59,470 want to tell you, Satan's got his hooks 117 00:03:59,470 --> 00:03:59,870 in you. 118 00:04:00,110 --> 00:04:02,250 He's dragging you straight to hell and you're 119 00:04:02,250 --> 00:04:04,210 so, you're so blinded by the things of 120 00:04:04,210 --> 00:04:05,850 the world, you don't even see what's going 121 00:04:05,850 --> 00:04:06,190 on. 122 00:04:06,250 --> 00:04:07,710 My friend, you need faith. 123 00:04:07,890 --> 00:04:10,070 You need to trust the one and living 124 00:04:10,070 --> 00:04:12,730 true God because there is a God in 125 00:04:12,730 --> 00:04:15,209 heaven, one God, the living God, the true 126 00:04:15,209 --> 00:04:17,790 God and the enemies of God, the forces 127 00:04:17,790 --> 00:04:20,290 of hell, the demons of hell are fighting 128 00:04:20,290 --> 00:04:22,570 for the souls of men and you need 129 00:04:22,570 --> 00:04:24,870 faith to be saved and my friend, we 130 00:04:24,870 --> 00:04:26,630 who have been born again, we need to 131 00:04:26,630 --> 00:04:28,610 have that shield of faith so we can 132 00:04:28,610 --> 00:04:30,350 serve God with a hot heart. 133 00:04:30,690 --> 00:04:32,750 You cannot be born again without faith. 134 00:04:32,990 --> 00:04:34,930 You cannot love God without faith. 135 00:04:35,130 --> 00:04:36,750 You cannot pray without faith. 136 00:04:36,970 --> 00:04:38,770 You cannot win your lost loved ones without 137 00:04:38,770 --> 00:04:39,170 faith. 138 00:04:39,170 --> 00:04:41,690 Friends, faith is the most important thing in 139 00:04:41,690 --> 00:04:42,090 your life. 140 00:04:42,170 --> 00:04:43,350 In fact, sir, you know what the Bible 141 00:04:43,350 --> 00:04:43,890 says? 142 00:04:44,210 --> 00:04:47,190 The Bible says, whatever's not faith is sin. 143 00:04:47,670 --> 00:04:49,310 You see my friends, there's no middle ground 144 00:04:49,310 --> 00:04:49,990 with God. 145 00:04:50,270 --> 00:04:52,410 This old silly stuff that's taught in church 146 00:04:52,410 --> 00:04:54,190 about situation ethics. 147 00:04:54,490 --> 00:04:55,850 Oh man, if it feels good, do it. 148 00:04:55,910 --> 00:04:57,370 I mean, if it depends on what the 149 00:04:57,370 --> 00:04:59,930 circumstances are, whether it's right or wrong, you 150 00:04:59,930 --> 00:05:01,650 won't find that from God, sir. 151 00:05:01,970 --> 00:05:05,290 God says, whatever's not faith is sin. 152 00:05:05,670 --> 00:05:08,490 Whatever's not for God is against God. 153 00:05:08,590 --> 00:05:10,530 If you are not living by faith and 154 00:05:10,530 --> 00:05:13,250 serving God, you are living in rebellion against 155 00:05:13,250 --> 00:05:15,390 God and the Bible says that's a sin 156 00:05:15,390 --> 00:05:17,650 to not have faith. 157 00:05:17,650 --> 00:05:19,650 Listen to what the Bible says about how 158 00:05:19,650 --> 00:05:22,770 faith honors God and God always honors faith. 159 00:05:22,850 --> 00:05:25,930 In Matthew 9 to it says, and behold, 160 00:05:26,450 --> 00:05:28,730 they brought a man sick of palsy lying 161 00:05:28,730 --> 00:05:31,110 on a bed and Jesus seeing their faith 162 00:05:31,110 --> 00:05:33,650 said unto the sick of palsy, son, be 163 00:05:33,650 --> 00:05:34,410 of good cheer. 164 00:05:34,550 --> 00:05:37,090 Thy sins be forgiven thee. 165 00:05:37,350 --> 00:05:39,290 There was a man who had had palsy. 166 00:05:39,530 --> 00:05:40,990 He couldn't even walk, but he had four 167 00:05:40,990 --> 00:05:43,570 good men who really were friends and they 168 00:05:43,570 --> 00:05:44,630 took him to Jesus. 169 00:05:44,790 --> 00:05:46,270 They lured him down through the roof. 170 00:05:46,310 --> 00:05:47,270 There was a crowd there. 171 00:05:47,410 --> 00:05:48,670 They couldn't even get through the crowd. 172 00:05:48,770 --> 00:05:50,570 Hey, but these old boys wouldn't be stopped. 173 00:05:50,830 --> 00:05:52,030 They went around the crowd. 174 00:05:52,170 --> 00:05:53,130 They climbed on the building. 175 00:05:53,230 --> 00:05:55,110 They tore the shingles off, son, and they 176 00:05:55,110 --> 00:05:56,850 lured him down through the building and you 177 00:05:56,850 --> 00:05:57,410 know what Jesus said? 178 00:05:57,450 --> 00:05:59,950 He said, I see your faith. 179 00:06:00,090 --> 00:06:02,430 You see, sir, faith is not some silly 180 00:06:02,430 --> 00:06:04,810 namby-pamby thing you put in your mind 181 00:06:04,810 --> 00:06:06,090 and you think I've got faith. 182 00:06:06,170 --> 00:06:08,170 No, man, faith has feet to it. 183 00:06:08,430 --> 00:06:09,770 Faith has muscle to it. 184 00:06:10,050 --> 00:06:10,950 Faith is action. 185 00:06:11,190 --> 00:06:12,470 You know what you believe? 186 00:06:13,150 --> 00:06:14,190 You know what you believe tonight? 187 00:06:14,790 --> 00:06:16,870 You show me how you live your life 188 00:06:16,870 --> 00:06:18,810 and I'll show you what you believe. 189 00:06:19,270 --> 00:06:20,990 Faith is what you do with your life. 190 00:06:21,170 --> 00:06:22,490 You say, I believe in God. 191 00:06:22,550 --> 00:06:23,570 You say, I believe this. 192 00:06:23,650 --> 00:06:24,430 I believe that. 193 00:06:24,590 --> 00:06:26,250 Well, sir, how do you live your life? 194 00:06:26,470 --> 00:06:28,470 If you are not living for God, you're 195 00:06:28,470 --> 00:06:29,230 not of God. 196 00:06:29,270 --> 00:06:31,710 You see what you really believe is how 197 00:06:31,710 --> 00:06:32,410 you live. 198 00:06:32,530 --> 00:06:34,390 If you live like a lost man, sir, 199 00:06:34,830 --> 00:06:35,790 you're a lost man. 200 00:06:36,070 --> 00:06:37,950 I don't care how many church members you've 201 00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:41,490 gone, how you live shows how much faith 202 00:06:41,490 --> 00:06:42,010 you have. 203 00:06:42,090 --> 00:06:44,710 It shows what your faith is in and 204 00:06:44,710 --> 00:06:47,090 God says, listen, you say you have faith. 205 00:06:47,310 --> 00:06:48,610 Hey, show me your faith. 206 00:06:48,790 --> 00:06:50,810 You say you believe, show me how you 207 00:06:50,810 --> 00:06:51,170 live. 208 00:06:51,310 --> 00:06:52,730 Show me the fruits of your life. 209 00:06:52,930 --> 00:06:54,490 Show me what you've done with your life 210 00:06:54,490 --> 00:06:56,190 for God and I'll show you whether you've 211 00:06:56,190 --> 00:06:57,810 got little faith or big faith. 212 00:06:58,150 --> 00:06:59,670 A few years ago, I was preaching at 213 00:06:59,670 --> 00:07:02,030 a Baptist church in Bruton, Alabama and gave 214 00:07:02,030 --> 00:07:02,670 the invitation. 215 00:07:02,830 --> 00:07:04,010 Many folks were saved. 216 00:07:04,390 --> 00:07:05,570 And at the end of the invitation, a 217 00:07:05,570 --> 00:07:07,930 woman about 55 years of age came to 218 00:07:07,930 --> 00:07:08,030 me. 219 00:07:08,090 --> 00:07:10,590 She said, William, I've been diagnosed with terminal 220 00:07:10,590 --> 00:07:12,710 cancer in a Baptist, both of you seat 221 00:07:12,710 --> 00:07:12,910 belts. 222 00:07:13,170 --> 00:07:14,330 I'm going to tell you something that'll shock 223 00:07:14,330 --> 00:07:14,550 you. 224 00:07:14,810 --> 00:07:16,490 She said, William, I believe God wants to 225 00:07:16,490 --> 00:07:17,150 heal me. 226 00:07:17,670 --> 00:07:19,190 He wants to supernaturally heal me. 227 00:07:19,270 --> 00:07:20,550 If God doesn't heal me, I've only got 228 00:07:20,550 --> 00:07:21,670 six months to live. 229 00:07:22,090 --> 00:07:23,190 We had her kneel here. 230 00:07:23,270 --> 00:07:24,530 The men of the church came. 231 00:07:24,670 --> 00:07:25,710 We anointed her with oil. 232 00:07:26,030 --> 00:07:27,730 We prayed for her to be healed by 233 00:07:27,730 --> 00:07:29,410 the power of the living God. 234 00:07:29,450 --> 00:07:31,030 She went home that day from church. 235 00:07:31,110 --> 00:07:32,770 She took all the muscle, the medicine she'd 236 00:07:32,770 --> 00:07:33,170 been given. 237 00:07:33,410 --> 00:07:34,610 She flushed it down the toilet. 238 00:07:34,690 --> 00:07:36,390 She said, I'm healed by the power of 239 00:07:36,390 --> 00:07:36,870 God, sir. 240 00:07:36,910 --> 00:07:38,090 That was eight years ago. 241 00:07:38,590 --> 00:07:39,670 God reached down. 242 00:07:39,730 --> 00:07:41,050 You say, William, you believe in healing? 243 00:07:41,130 --> 00:07:42,110 I sure do, son. 244 00:07:42,290 --> 00:07:44,050 I believe God heals today. 245 00:07:44,410 --> 00:07:45,710 God is the great physician. 246 00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:52,900 But there was a woman with great faith. 247 00:07:53,380 --> 00:07:54,960 There was a woman who was not trusting 248 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:56,960 in a man or trusting in a preacher 249 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,680 or even trusting in a little bottle of 250 00:07:58,680 --> 00:07:58,960 oil. 251 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:00,980 She was trusting in the God of heaven 252 00:08:00,980 --> 00:08:02,440 who has given his word. 253 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:04,280 If you will come to me, if you 254 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,440 will trust me, give me your life, I 255 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,040 will touch your life and I will heal 256 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:08,320 you. 257 00:08:08,420 --> 00:08:10,900 About two years after that woman being healed, 258 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,680 we were in Atmore, Alabama visiting my parents. 259 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:15,060 She called me on the phone. 260 00:08:15,140 --> 00:08:17,040 She said, William, there's an 18 year old 261 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:18,200 girl in Bruton, Alabama. 262 00:08:18,300 --> 00:08:20,220 She's heard about me being healed from cancer. 263 00:08:20,460 --> 00:08:23,500 She's got terminal cancer, three pieces of cancer 264 00:08:23,500 --> 00:08:25,420 in her chest, three tumors in her chest. 265 00:08:25,700 --> 00:08:26,780 She was 18 years old. 266 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,020 My wife and I went to her. 267 00:08:28,340 --> 00:08:30,580 What an attractive young lady, beautiful young lady 268 00:08:30,580 --> 00:08:32,799 with no hair on her head, taking all 269 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:34,000 those treatments for cancer. 270 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:35,760 She sat there and I told her about 271 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:36,900 Jesus because Hey, what? 272 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:38,919 The only reason Jesus heals folks is so 273 00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:40,299 they can be born again by the spirit 274 00:08:40,299 --> 00:08:40,840 of God. 275 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:42,820 And we prayed with her and led her 276 00:08:42,820 --> 00:08:43,260 to Christ. 277 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,220 She was born again by the Holy Spirit. 278 00:08:45,220 --> 00:08:46,900 And then we laid hands on her and 279 00:08:46,900 --> 00:08:47,840 we prayed for her. 280 00:08:48,140 --> 00:08:49,780 She was healed of that terminal cancer. 281 00:08:49,820 --> 00:08:52,480 Today, she's married, heard her husband travel around 282 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,800 the world, giving glory to God, to the 283 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:56,940 power of God as a testimony of what 284 00:08:56,940 --> 00:08:57,900 God has done in their life. 285 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,020 I'm telling you friends, I believe in the 286 00:09:02,020 --> 00:09:03,380 power of the living God. 287 00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:05,300 I believe in the Holy Spirit of God 288 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:06,280 to touch men's lives. 289 00:09:06,460 --> 00:09:08,420 How can you explain what we've seen here 290 00:09:08,420 --> 00:09:09,460 these six weeks? 291 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,640 How can we explain the men who have 292 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:12,220 come down here? 293 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,580 Men who came down, who were hard and 294 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:17,060 cold and religious and yet the power of 295 00:09:17,060 --> 00:09:19,840 God touched their lives and has supernaturally changed 296 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,620 them, saved them, saved their families, saved their 297 00:09:22,620 --> 00:09:24,060 friends, turned their life around. 298 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,160 It is the power of the living God 299 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:26,660 to do that. 300 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:33,220 And that is done only by faith. 301 00:09:34,620 --> 00:09:35,060 Faith. 302 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,500 I want to tell you about Peter, a 303 00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:39,560 man who had a little faith. 304 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:41,640 I read these verses to you and I 305 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:42,600 want to tell you Peter was a man 306 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:43,260 who had a little faith. 307 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:44,680 I've always thought, you know, I'd like to 308 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:46,060 be a great warrior for the Lord. 309 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:47,100 I wish I was a disciple. 310 00:09:47,460 --> 00:09:48,820 You know, I'd like to be the Apostle 311 00:09:48,820 --> 00:09:50,640 Paul, but the truth is I'm more like 312 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,060 Peter than the Apostle Paul. 313 00:09:52,780 --> 00:09:55,520 I mean Peter was, Paul was smart, intelligent. 314 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,760 He always stood, never called Peter. 315 00:09:57,820 --> 00:09:58,660 He was one of those guys, he was 316 00:09:58,660 --> 00:10:00,220 always jumping up with a sword, cutting somebody's 317 00:10:00,220 --> 00:10:00,960 ear off, you know. 318 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,400 And I mean, Peter was always biting off 319 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:04,340 more than he could chew. 320 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:05,720 And you know, I kind of identify with 321 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:06,080 old Peter. 322 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:07,420 You know, I kind of get excited about 323 00:10:07,420 --> 00:10:09,620 things, but you know, Peter was a man 324 00:10:09,620 --> 00:10:10,600 who had a little faith. 325 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:11,920 And I want to tell you what happened 326 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,380 here in verse 29, it says, and when 327 00:10:15,380 --> 00:10:17,020 Peter was come down out of the ship, 328 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,040 he walked on the water to go to 329 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:20,420 Jesus. 330 00:10:20,500 --> 00:10:21,560 Now, man, here's the story. 331 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:23,660 Remember Jesus Christ had said, y'all go 332 00:10:23,660 --> 00:10:25,220 without me, I'm going to pray. 333 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,240 And so all the disciples got into the 334 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:28,880 ship and they were out there on the 335 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:30,640 water and Christ was praying. 336 00:10:30,780 --> 00:10:32,740 And then at that, that hour, between 3 337 00:10:32,740 --> 00:10:35,140 AM and 6 AM, there was a terrible 338 00:10:35,140 --> 00:10:36,400 storm going on. 339 00:10:36,580 --> 00:10:37,700 The waves were high. 340 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:38,840 It was very dangerous. 341 00:10:38,860 --> 00:10:40,840 And the Bible says the disciples, they were 342 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:41,540 terrified. 343 00:10:42,060 --> 00:10:44,420 And then the Bible says they saw Jesus 344 00:10:44,420 --> 00:10:46,520 walking on the water. 345 00:10:47,260 --> 00:10:50,020 And Peter said, Hey Lord, Lord, if that's 346 00:10:50,020 --> 00:10:52,820 really you, tell me to come out there 347 00:10:52,820 --> 00:10:54,460 and I'll walk on the water to you. 348 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:56,900 And Jesus said, Peter, come on out here 349 00:10:56,900 --> 00:10:57,400 on the water. 350 00:10:58,140 --> 00:11:00,180 Just explain how this water walking is going 351 00:11:00,180 --> 00:11:01,020 to work first. 352 00:11:01,660 --> 00:11:08,570 And once I understand it, I mean, once 353 00:11:08,570 --> 00:11:11,110 I understand the diagrams and the principle, and 354 00:11:11,110 --> 00:11:12,870 I mean, once I understand the philosophy and 355 00:11:12,870 --> 00:11:13,930 how it's all going to work, I mean, 356 00:11:14,070 --> 00:11:15,930 once I understand it, then I'll believe you. 357 00:11:15,970 --> 00:11:17,950 No, Peter said, Hey, Lord, if that's really 358 00:11:17,950 --> 00:11:20,110 you, you say to come out on the 359 00:11:20,110 --> 00:11:22,050 water and I'll step out like a man, 360 00:11:22,110 --> 00:11:23,310 I'll walk on the water. 361 00:11:23,710 --> 00:11:25,350 So the first thing Peter did was he 362 00:11:25,350 --> 00:11:27,730 did the impossible. 363 00:11:28,390 --> 00:11:31,490 It's impossible to walk on water unless you're 364 00:11:31,490 --> 00:11:32,550 walking with Jesus. 365 00:11:33,230 --> 00:11:36,170 Peter did the impossible thing. 366 00:11:36,270 --> 00:11:37,410 What is faith, sir? 367 00:11:37,810 --> 00:11:39,890 Well, faith, it says in Hebrews 11 one, 368 00:11:40,030 --> 00:11:43,590 now faith is the substance of things hoped 369 00:11:43,590 --> 00:11:47,390 for the evidence of things not seen. 370 00:11:47,650 --> 00:11:49,330 Hey buddy, you can't see faith. 371 00:11:49,550 --> 00:11:50,610 Faith comes from the heart. 372 00:11:50,710 --> 00:11:53,070 Faith is when you can't explain what's happening. 373 00:11:53,270 --> 00:11:54,590 You just believe God. 374 00:11:54,670 --> 00:11:56,430 He's going to work a miracle in your 375 00:11:56,430 --> 00:11:56,730 life. 376 00:11:56,830 --> 00:11:58,690 I've had so many men say we need 377 00:11:58,690 --> 00:12:00,590 to run our church like a business. 378 00:12:00,590 --> 00:12:02,450 Hey buddy, you run it like a business. 379 00:12:02,510 --> 00:12:03,750 You'll run it straight in the ground. 380 00:12:04,190 --> 00:12:05,430 The church is not a business. 381 00:12:05,430 --> 00:12:06,890 Now you need to be a good steward 382 00:12:06,890 --> 00:12:07,730 of God's money. 383 00:12:07,770 --> 00:12:09,450 I'm not saying that, but my friends, there 384 00:12:09,450 --> 00:12:10,690 are some things you just got to step 385 00:12:10,690 --> 00:12:11,510 out on the water on. 386 00:12:11,770 --> 00:12:13,090 Hey, you just got to step out and 387 00:12:13,090 --> 00:12:13,710 believe God. 388 00:12:14,030 --> 00:12:15,930 Sometimes we don't understand how it's going to 389 00:12:15,930 --> 00:12:16,150 work. 390 00:12:16,310 --> 00:12:17,490 We don't see how we're going to finance 391 00:12:17,490 --> 00:12:17,610 it. 392 00:12:17,670 --> 00:12:19,150 We're going to not see how, how we 393 00:12:19,150 --> 00:12:20,970 can do it, but we think God has 394 00:12:20,970 --> 00:12:21,650 called us to do it. 395 00:12:21,790 --> 00:12:22,870 We're just going to step out on the 396 00:12:22,870 --> 00:12:24,210 water and trust God. 397 00:12:24,310 --> 00:12:25,710 Hey friend, that's what faith is. 398 00:12:25,930 --> 00:12:27,890 The substance of things that are hoped for, 399 00:12:28,110 --> 00:12:29,590 things you can't even see, but you're just 400 00:12:29,590 --> 00:12:30,330 going to believe God. 401 00:12:30,430 --> 00:12:32,490 You see, faith is trusting God. 402 00:12:33,150 --> 00:12:34,810 Faith is trusting God. 403 00:12:34,890 --> 00:12:36,290 I had a man tell me one time, 404 00:12:36,350 --> 00:12:38,550 he said, William, I believe God's leading me 405 00:12:38,550 --> 00:12:41,030 to do something, but I really questioned whether 406 00:12:41,030 --> 00:12:42,650 it's God or not because what I'm, what 407 00:12:42,650 --> 00:12:43,570 he wants me to do, I mean, I 408 00:12:43,570 --> 00:12:44,210 can't do it. 409 00:12:44,350 --> 00:12:45,210 I don't have the talent. 410 00:12:45,310 --> 00:12:46,190 I don't have the ability. 411 00:12:46,370 --> 00:12:47,930 I mean, it's going to be impossible for 412 00:12:47,930 --> 00:12:48,410 me to do this. 413 00:12:48,550 --> 00:12:50,690 Surely God wouldn't call me to do something 414 00:12:50,690 --> 00:12:52,550 that I'm not capable of doing. 415 00:12:53,370 --> 00:12:54,990 I said, that's exactly what he'd call you 416 00:12:54,990 --> 00:12:55,330 to do. 417 00:12:55,730 --> 00:12:57,250 My friend, as long as you can do 418 00:12:57,250 --> 00:12:58,270 it, God will let you do it. 419 00:12:58,450 --> 00:12:59,550 As long as you can do it with 420 00:12:59,550 --> 00:13:02,050 your talent and your ability and your energy, 421 00:13:02,310 --> 00:13:03,990 why in the world would God get in 422 00:13:03,990 --> 00:13:04,370 on it? 423 00:13:04,830 --> 00:13:07,510 Man, God gets in on the impossible stuff. 424 00:13:07,750 --> 00:13:09,850 When you've done all you can do, work 425 00:13:09,850 --> 00:13:11,690 as hard as you can do, done everything 426 00:13:11,690 --> 00:13:13,590 with your talent and your ability, when you 427 00:13:13,590 --> 00:13:15,610 step out there in that no man's land, 428 00:13:15,830 --> 00:13:18,890 in that impossible situation, buddy, that's when God 429 00:13:18,890 --> 00:13:19,630 shows up. 430 00:13:19,810 --> 00:13:23,570 You must step out on the water if 431 00:13:23,570 --> 00:13:27,150 you want God to intervene in your life. 432 00:13:27,190 --> 00:13:28,570 Oh, Peter did the impossible. 433 00:13:29,150 --> 00:13:31,950 He walked on the water and we know 434 00:13:31,950 --> 00:13:35,050 it's impossible to walk on the water except 435 00:13:35,050 --> 00:13:35,950 by faith. 436 00:13:36,630 --> 00:13:38,070 And then old Peter did something else. 437 00:13:38,090 --> 00:13:40,730 After he walked on the water and did 438 00:13:40,730 --> 00:13:44,050 the impossible, he did the conceivable. 439 00:13:45,370 --> 00:13:47,190 In verse 30 it says, but he saw 440 00:13:47,190 --> 00:13:50,070 the wind boisterous. 441 00:13:52,190 --> 00:13:53,510 He saw the storm. 442 00:13:54,890 --> 00:13:55,790 Oh, here's old Peter, man. 443 00:13:55,970 --> 00:13:57,550 I've got to give him credit. 444 00:13:57,730 --> 00:13:58,870 Had a boy stepped out on the water 445 00:13:58,870 --> 00:13:59,290 at least. 446 00:13:59,430 --> 00:13:59,550 Amen. 447 00:14:00,150 --> 00:14:01,330 I mean, he's out there on the water 448 00:14:01,330 --> 00:14:02,750 and the other old boys are, they're hanging 449 00:14:02,750 --> 00:14:04,270 over the side of the, of the ship, 450 00:14:04,370 --> 00:14:06,070 probably sick as dogs, you know, and old 451 00:14:06,070 --> 00:14:07,530 Peter's out there walking on the water. 452 00:14:07,670 --> 00:14:09,550 He's walking to the Lord, but he took, 453 00:14:09,670 --> 00:14:11,450 what he did is he saw the storms. 454 00:14:11,510 --> 00:14:12,970 Now, how did he see the storms? 455 00:14:13,590 --> 00:14:14,930 He took his eyes off Jesus. 456 00:14:15,470 --> 00:14:17,750 Hey, he was watching Jesus and walking on 457 00:14:17,750 --> 00:14:18,190 the water. 458 00:14:18,290 --> 00:14:20,610 But when the circumstances began to overwhelm him, 459 00:14:20,730 --> 00:14:22,570 he took his eyes off God and he 460 00:14:22,570 --> 00:14:23,370 looked at the problem. 461 00:14:23,510 --> 00:14:24,750 He looked at the circumstances. 462 00:14:24,830 --> 00:14:26,170 That's what a lot of you do. 463 00:14:26,570 --> 00:14:28,810 Hey, you're out there serving God, man, love 464 00:14:28,810 --> 00:14:29,810 God, living for God. 465 00:14:30,070 --> 00:14:31,650 Everything's good, but hey, all of a sudden 466 00:14:31,650 --> 00:14:34,630 you lose your job or something, some problem 467 00:14:34,630 --> 00:14:35,270 comes up. 468 00:14:35,450 --> 00:14:36,330 Oh, and you know what happens? 469 00:14:36,430 --> 00:14:38,490 You began to doubt God. 470 00:14:39,490 --> 00:14:41,230 And when you doubt God, you know what 471 00:14:41,230 --> 00:14:41,650 happens? 472 00:14:42,450 --> 00:14:44,050 You do the next thing, what old Peter 473 00:14:44,050 --> 00:14:44,190 did. 474 00:14:44,230 --> 00:14:45,490 He did the natural thing. 475 00:14:46,550 --> 00:14:48,870 In fact, when he saw the wind boisterous, 476 00:14:49,870 --> 00:14:52,250 he was afraid. 477 00:14:53,330 --> 00:14:55,170 He feared destruction. 478 00:14:56,190 --> 00:14:57,310 There are some of you men here tonight, 479 00:14:57,350 --> 00:14:59,970 you're afraid about losing your business, afraid about 480 00:14:59,970 --> 00:15:02,030 losing your job, afraid about losing your health. 481 00:15:02,190 --> 00:15:03,670 You're afraid that you don't have enough money 482 00:15:03,670 --> 00:15:05,390 put back for retirement right now. 483 00:15:05,610 --> 00:15:06,850 You're afraid of what your kids are going 484 00:15:06,850 --> 00:15:07,870 to do, marry the wrong person. 485 00:15:08,150 --> 00:15:09,650 Fear dominates your life. 486 00:15:09,890 --> 00:15:12,350 And the Bible says you cannot have faith 487 00:15:12,350 --> 00:15:14,170 and fear at the same time. 488 00:15:14,430 --> 00:15:17,170 One of those two will dominate your life. 489 00:15:17,210 --> 00:15:19,470 And if you are controlled by fear, you 490 00:15:19,470 --> 00:15:20,570 cannot have faith. 491 00:15:20,790 --> 00:15:22,630 And the reason you have fear in your 492 00:15:22,630 --> 00:15:24,310 heart is because you have taken your eyes 493 00:15:24,310 --> 00:15:24,910 off Jesus. 494 00:15:25,030 --> 00:15:27,250 You're looking at the circumstances, but the Bible 495 00:15:27,250 --> 00:15:29,550 says greater is he who is in you 496 00:15:29,550 --> 00:15:31,690 than he who is in the world. 497 00:15:31,830 --> 00:15:33,750 You see friends, as long as you're watching 498 00:15:33,750 --> 00:15:35,990 Jesus, as long as you're sold out to 499 00:15:35,990 --> 00:15:38,190 Jesus, as long as you're committed to the 500 00:15:38,190 --> 00:15:40,190 things of God, you can walk on the 501 00:15:40,190 --> 00:15:43,010 water, friend, you can have that supernatural miracle 502 00:15:43,010 --> 00:15:43,690 working faith. 503 00:15:43,810 --> 00:15:45,330 But when you take your eyes off of 504 00:15:45,330 --> 00:15:47,050 the Lord and you start looking at your 505 00:15:47,050 --> 00:15:48,970 problems, the old devil will come into your 506 00:15:48,970 --> 00:15:49,330 life. 507 00:15:49,550 --> 00:15:50,670 He'll cause doubt. 508 00:15:50,850 --> 00:15:51,950 He'll cause fear. 509 00:15:52,050 --> 00:15:53,550 And when doubt and fear come into your 510 00:15:53,550 --> 00:15:56,330 heart, there is no faith because whatever is 511 00:15:56,330 --> 00:15:57,810 not faith is sin. 512 00:15:57,950 --> 00:16:00,130 And when you have fear and doubt, because 513 00:16:00,130 --> 00:16:02,930 you are controlled by the circumstances, the Bible 514 00:16:02,930 --> 00:16:03,930 says that's sin. 515 00:16:04,630 --> 00:16:08,230 And that caused old Peter to sink. 516 00:16:08,930 --> 00:16:14,090 The Bible says he did the expected thing. 517 00:16:14,770 --> 00:16:16,730 Verse 30, it says, but when he saw 518 00:16:16,730 --> 00:16:21,770 the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning 519 00:16:21,770 --> 00:16:23,490 to sink. 520 00:16:24,190 --> 00:16:25,690 He began to fail. 521 00:16:26,350 --> 00:16:28,990 I guarantee you, you're gonna fail without Jesus. 522 00:16:29,710 --> 00:16:31,250 Listen, I've been there, done that. 523 00:16:31,290 --> 00:16:32,410 I bought the t-shirt, friend. 524 00:16:32,470 --> 00:16:34,970 I'm telling you, you're gonna fail without Jesus. 525 00:16:35,430 --> 00:16:37,750 You go out there, you work hard, you 526 00:16:37,750 --> 00:16:38,870 do all you want to do. 527 00:16:39,270 --> 00:16:40,350 You live without God. 528 00:16:40,450 --> 00:16:41,130 You're gonna fail. 529 00:16:41,690 --> 00:16:42,610 You're gonna sink. 530 00:16:43,090 --> 00:16:44,590 You're gonna die and go to hell. 531 00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:46,090 Or if you're born again, you're gonna live 532 00:16:46,090 --> 00:16:47,670 a defeated and discouraged life. 533 00:16:48,290 --> 00:16:49,230 Peter walked on the water. 534 00:16:49,250 --> 00:16:50,410 I see it all the time, friends. 535 00:16:50,650 --> 00:16:52,410 I see folks who really get born again. 536 00:16:52,670 --> 00:16:53,890 They really trust God. 537 00:16:54,050 --> 00:16:54,810 They live for God. 538 00:16:54,850 --> 00:16:55,390 But you know what they do? 539 00:16:55,510 --> 00:16:57,050 They quit witnessing to other people. 540 00:16:57,350 --> 00:16:59,490 They quit reading the Bible, memorizing Scripture. 541 00:16:59,790 --> 00:17:02,570 They quit praying for any length of time. 542 00:17:02,730 --> 00:17:05,329 They quit being filled with the Holy Spirit. 543 00:17:05,450 --> 00:17:07,050 They quit doing the things of God. 544 00:17:07,310 --> 00:17:09,869 And that flesh begins to dominate that spirit. 545 00:17:10,010 --> 00:17:11,970 And when the flesh dominates the spirit, it 546 00:17:11,970 --> 00:17:14,450 causes your eyes to be drawn off Jesus, 547 00:17:14,450 --> 00:17:16,430 to look at the worldly circumstances. 548 00:17:16,550 --> 00:17:17,930 It causes you to doubt. 549 00:17:18,050 --> 00:17:19,170 It causes you to fear. 550 00:17:19,310 --> 00:17:20,770 It causes you to fail. 551 00:17:21,990 --> 00:17:22,770 Friend, I want to tell you, if you 552 00:17:22,770 --> 00:17:24,030 want to get your life under control, you 553 00:17:24,030 --> 00:17:25,369 got to get that flesh under control. 554 00:17:26,030 --> 00:17:27,170 Some of you right now, and I'll tell 555 00:17:27,170 --> 00:17:27,890 you how you need to do it. 556 00:17:27,930 --> 00:17:28,910 You need to, number one, you need to 557 00:17:28,910 --> 00:17:30,630 get honest with God about your life. 558 00:17:31,090 --> 00:17:32,030 What you need to do is you need 559 00:17:32,030 --> 00:17:34,010 to put that flesh under subjection to the 560 00:17:34,010 --> 00:17:34,310 Spirit. 561 00:17:34,930 --> 00:17:36,330 You need to go on, you need to 562 00:17:36,330 --> 00:17:37,850 go on, number one, what the Bible says, 563 00:17:37,890 --> 00:17:39,030 by prayer and fasting. 564 00:17:39,050 --> 00:17:40,070 You need to go on a fast. 565 00:17:40,410 --> 00:17:41,850 I suggest you start a fast at 6 566 00:17:41,850 --> 00:17:43,230 p.m. Go to the next night at 567 00:17:43,230 --> 00:17:44,830 6 p.m. That's a Jewish 24-hour 568 00:17:44,830 --> 00:17:45,210 day. 569 00:17:45,650 --> 00:17:47,110 Fast with water and juices. 570 00:17:47,450 --> 00:17:48,610 And you, during that 24-hour, you know 571 00:17:48,610 --> 00:17:49,350 why you fast? 572 00:17:49,450 --> 00:17:51,670 You fast to put that flesh under subjection 573 00:17:51,670 --> 00:17:52,170 to the Spirit. 574 00:17:52,530 --> 00:17:54,290 You let the flesh be the dominant force 575 00:17:54,290 --> 00:17:54,870 in your life. 576 00:17:55,070 --> 00:17:56,890 Then you need to get alone by yourself. 577 00:17:57,050 --> 00:17:59,370 And like David say, God searched me, tried 578 00:17:59,370 --> 00:18:01,430 me, show if there's any evil in my 579 00:18:01,430 --> 00:18:01,730 heart. 580 00:18:01,870 --> 00:18:02,870 Get alone with God. 581 00:18:02,950 --> 00:18:04,130 Take a pen and a piece of paper 582 00:18:04,130 --> 00:18:06,050 and let God speak to your heart and 583 00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:07,850 list all those things in your life that 584 00:18:07,850 --> 00:18:08,610 are unconfessed. 585 00:18:08,730 --> 00:18:10,630 Then one by one, go back and repent. 586 00:18:10,910 --> 00:18:12,090 And I will tell you, when you clean 587 00:18:12,090 --> 00:18:14,070 up your heart, clean up your life, put 588 00:18:14,070 --> 00:18:16,270 your flesh under subjection to the Spirit, it 589 00:18:16,270 --> 00:18:17,310 will give you power. 590 00:18:17,550 --> 00:18:19,270 It will give you faith to keep your 591 00:18:19,270 --> 00:18:21,110 eyes on the Lord, to let you have 592 00:18:21,110 --> 00:18:22,290 victory and joy. 593 00:18:22,490 --> 00:18:22,850 Hallelujah! 594 00:18:23,250 --> 00:18:24,730 You got to have faith, but you got 595 00:18:24,730 --> 00:18:26,130 to do it God's way, sir. 596 00:18:27,090 --> 00:18:27,650 Faith. 597 00:18:28,170 --> 00:18:29,710 Old Peter began to sink, but then he 598 00:18:29,710 --> 00:18:31,790 did the right thing. 599 00:18:32,530 --> 00:18:34,070 Verse 30, he said, when he saw the 600 00:18:34,070 --> 00:18:36,470 wind boister, he was afraid and beginning to 601 00:18:36,470 --> 00:18:41,050 sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 602 00:18:41,910 --> 00:18:43,730 Old Peter finally came to his senses. 603 00:18:44,470 --> 00:18:48,690 Peter finally realized that without Jesus, he was 604 00:18:48,690 --> 00:18:50,630 doomed and damned. 605 00:18:51,070 --> 00:18:53,270 Some of you are doomed and damned tonight. 606 00:18:53,810 --> 00:18:55,050 Some of you tonight, if you were to 607 00:18:55,050 --> 00:18:57,050 die tonight, you'd go straight to hell. 608 00:18:57,470 --> 00:18:59,150 Right now, you're up to your neck in 609 00:18:59,150 --> 00:19:00,830 the water and you're sinking fast. 610 00:19:01,310 --> 00:19:02,750 And what you need to do tonight is 611 00:19:02,750 --> 00:19:04,250 you need to call on the Lord like 612 00:19:04,250 --> 00:19:04,890 Peter did. 613 00:19:05,190 --> 00:19:07,570 He said, Lord, save me. 614 00:19:07,770 --> 00:19:10,030 You see, you don't understand your situation, sir. 615 00:19:10,530 --> 00:19:12,250 You're a sinner against God. 616 00:19:12,690 --> 00:19:14,650 You're a rebel against God. 617 00:19:14,950 --> 00:19:17,370 You've lived a selfish and self-centered life. 618 00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:19,350 You've ignored God with your life. 619 00:19:19,630 --> 00:19:20,890 Oh, you may have your name on a 620 00:19:20,890 --> 00:19:22,610 church role, but you've not given your heart 621 00:19:22,610 --> 00:19:23,110 to God. 622 00:19:23,330 --> 00:19:25,330 And because you are a sinner, a rebel 623 00:19:25,330 --> 00:19:27,590 against God, at this very moment in the 624 00:19:27,590 --> 00:19:29,230 eyes of God, you are doomed and you 625 00:19:29,230 --> 00:19:31,130 are down to a place called hell. 626 00:19:31,370 --> 00:19:32,610 There's no hope for you. 627 00:19:32,790 --> 00:19:34,810 There's absolutely nothing you can do to save 628 00:19:34,810 --> 00:19:35,330 yourself. 629 00:19:35,610 --> 00:19:38,410 You cannot be good enough, give enough, do 630 00:19:38,410 --> 00:19:40,270 enough, read your Bible from cover to cover. 631 00:19:40,390 --> 00:19:41,150 You're doomed and damned. 632 00:19:41,230 --> 00:19:42,670 You're sinking in the water right now. 633 00:19:42,810 --> 00:19:44,110 And the water's up to your nose. 634 00:19:44,530 --> 00:19:45,950 But the Bible says God loves you. 635 00:19:45,990 --> 00:19:47,310 He wants to save you. 636 00:19:47,510 --> 00:19:49,150 But you are a sinner against the most 637 00:19:49,150 --> 00:19:49,910 high God. 638 00:19:50,350 --> 00:19:51,910 Your sin debt must be punished. 639 00:19:52,150 --> 00:19:53,670 So what God did was God sent his 640 00:19:53,670 --> 00:19:55,570 son, Jesus, and Jesus has come. 641 00:19:55,690 --> 00:19:56,610 He's taken our sin. 642 00:19:56,890 --> 00:19:57,890 He's gone to a cross. 643 00:19:57,990 --> 00:19:58,890 He's taken our place. 644 00:19:59,190 --> 00:20:00,710 He paid our sin debt. 645 00:20:00,990 --> 00:20:02,650 He died so that we could live. 646 00:20:02,710 --> 00:20:04,470 He suffered hell so that we could enjoy 647 00:20:04,470 --> 00:20:04,850 heaven. 648 00:20:04,990 --> 00:20:07,790 And the Bible says for whosoever shall call 649 00:20:07,790 --> 00:20:09,970 upon the name of the Lord shall be 650 00:20:09,970 --> 00:20:10,710 saved. 651 00:20:10,790 --> 00:20:13,290 Peter, walking on the water, took his eyes 652 00:20:13,290 --> 00:20:14,030 off Jesus. 653 00:20:14,210 --> 00:20:16,030 He began to see the circumstances. 654 00:20:16,350 --> 00:20:17,310 He began to doubt. 655 00:20:17,550 --> 00:20:18,530 He began to fear. 656 00:20:18,630 --> 00:20:19,710 He began to fail. 657 00:20:19,830 --> 00:20:22,570 But hallelujah, at the moment of crisis, he 658 00:20:22,570 --> 00:20:24,530 said, Lord, save me. 659 00:20:25,170 --> 00:20:27,930 And some of you tonight need to do 660 00:20:27,930 --> 00:20:29,390 the very same. 661 00:20:31,210 --> 00:20:33,390 Because when Peter called on the Lord, you 662 00:20:33,390 --> 00:20:34,250 know what the Bible said? 663 00:20:35,010 --> 00:20:41,290 It said in verse 31, and immediately Jesus 664 00:20:41,290 --> 00:20:45,610 stretched forth his hand and caught him and 665 00:20:45,610 --> 00:20:48,530 said unto him, O thou of little faith, 666 00:20:49,050 --> 00:20:50,450 why did you doubt? 667 00:20:51,610 --> 00:20:53,310 Friend, I tell you what, tonight God stands 668 00:20:53,310 --> 00:20:54,290 ready to save you. 669 00:20:55,310 --> 00:20:57,570 Your circumstances are about to overwhelm you. 670 00:20:58,170 --> 00:20:59,130 Your heart's empty. 671 00:20:59,230 --> 00:21:00,010 You've tried it all. 672 00:21:00,110 --> 00:21:01,630 You've done it all, but you're failing. 673 00:21:02,290 --> 00:21:03,550 You're sinking in the water. 674 00:21:04,390 --> 00:21:06,210 And right now tonight, God's going to give 675 00:21:06,210 --> 00:21:08,150 you the greatest opportunity you'll ever have to 676 00:21:08,150 --> 00:21:08,750 be saved. 677 00:21:09,230 --> 00:21:10,670 Because my friend, you'll never be in another 678 00:21:10,670 --> 00:21:12,090 service like this again the rest of your 679 00:21:12,090 --> 00:21:12,470 life. 680 00:21:13,210 --> 00:21:14,730 You're never going to feel like you feel 681 00:21:14,730 --> 00:21:15,590 tonight ever again. 682 00:21:15,910 --> 00:21:17,910 God's never going to call you again like 683 00:21:17,910 --> 00:21:18,930 he's going to call you tonight. 684 00:21:19,030 --> 00:21:20,190 It's the opportunity of a lifetime. 685 00:21:21,070 --> 00:21:21,630 You're sinking. 686 00:21:21,830 --> 00:21:23,310 You're overcome with the circumstances. 687 00:21:23,830 --> 00:21:24,990 You're doomed and damned. 688 00:21:25,290 --> 00:21:26,730 But if you'll call upon the name of 689 00:21:26,730 --> 00:21:29,110 the Lord, immediately he'll save you. 690 00:21:29,230 --> 00:21:29,630 You know what he'll do? 691 00:21:29,790 --> 00:21:31,610 He'll forgive you of every sin you've ever 692 00:21:31,610 --> 00:21:31,890 committed. 693 00:21:32,290 --> 00:21:33,570 He'll cleanse your heart. 694 00:21:34,010 --> 00:21:35,470 He'll purify your life. 695 00:21:35,710 --> 00:21:37,470 He'll change the way you think, the way 696 00:21:37,470 --> 00:21:38,050 you talk. 697 00:21:38,250 --> 00:21:40,110 He'll put his Holy Spirit in your heart 698 00:21:40,110 --> 00:21:41,870 to guide you and direct you. 699 00:21:42,050 --> 00:21:43,590 He'll write your name down in the book 700 00:21:43,590 --> 00:21:45,610 of life, the record book of everybody who's 701 00:21:45,610 --> 00:21:46,050 going to heaven. 702 00:21:46,150 --> 00:21:47,090 You know why he'll do it, sir? 703 00:21:47,290 --> 00:21:48,330 Because he loves you. 704 00:21:48,510 --> 00:21:49,350 He loves you. 705 00:21:49,390 --> 00:21:50,410 And I want to tell you, you've done 706 00:21:50,410 --> 00:21:53,530 absolutely nothing to cause God to love you. 707 00:21:54,030 --> 00:21:56,230 In fact, you've done everything to cause him 708 00:21:56,230 --> 00:21:58,710 not to love you, but he does love 709 00:21:58,710 --> 00:21:58,990 you. 710 00:21:59,310 --> 00:22:02,090 And he'll save you if you'll come to 711 00:22:02,090 --> 00:22:02,490 him. 712 00:22:02,850 --> 00:22:04,290 Then Peter did, you know what he did 713 00:22:04,290 --> 00:22:05,550 after Jesus grabbed him? 714 00:22:05,790 --> 00:22:09,050 He did the impossible thing again. 715 00:22:09,450 --> 00:22:10,590 Have you ever thought about this in verse 716 00:22:10,590 --> 00:22:11,170 32? 717 00:22:11,290 --> 00:22:13,130 It said, and when they were come to 718 00:22:13,130 --> 00:22:15,650 the ship, the wind ceased. 719 00:22:16,250 --> 00:22:17,650 How did they get back to the ship? 720 00:22:18,530 --> 00:22:20,190 They walked from the water back to the 721 00:22:20,190 --> 00:22:20,470 ship. 722 00:22:20,770 --> 00:22:22,430 You see, that's where the victory is. 723 00:22:22,730 --> 00:22:24,790 The victory is, yes, there's a God in 724 00:22:24,790 --> 00:22:25,070 heaven. 725 00:22:25,210 --> 00:22:26,550 And if you'll go to him and keep 726 00:22:26,550 --> 00:22:28,830 your eyes on him, you can do impossible 727 00:22:28,830 --> 00:22:29,330 things. 728 00:22:29,510 --> 00:22:30,950 You can live an abundant life. 729 00:22:30,990 --> 00:22:32,210 You can live a victorious life. 730 00:22:32,370 --> 00:22:34,190 You can live that overcoming life. 731 00:22:34,350 --> 00:22:35,910 You can walk on the water, but you 732 00:22:35,910 --> 00:22:37,330 got to keep your eyes on the Lord. 733 00:22:37,510 --> 00:22:38,810 You got to keep fear out of your 734 00:22:38,810 --> 00:22:39,130 heart. 735 00:22:39,290 --> 00:22:41,370 You can't be dominated by the circumstances. 736 00:22:41,650 --> 00:22:43,170 You've got to put your hand in the 737 00:22:43,170 --> 00:22:46,870 hand of Jesus and your life will be 738 00:22:46,870 --> 00:22:49,490 super naturally changed. 739 00:22:50,750 --> 00:22:52,510 Tonight, there are many of you here that 740 00:22:52,510 --> 00:22:53,570 need to come to Jesus. 741 00:22:54,310 --> 00:22:56,450 You see, I didn't always believe in God. 742 00:22:57,170 --> 00:22:58,690 I wasn't one of those boys that was 743 00:22:58,690 --> 00:23:00,550 raised up always believing in God. 744 00:23:00,970 --> 00:23:02,690 Oh, when I was 12 years old, I 745 00:23:02,690 --> 00:23:04,690 walked an aisle like most boys do, and 746 00:23:04,690 --> 00:23:06,910 I prayed a prayer and was baptized like 747 00:23:06,910 --> 00:23:09,370 most boys do when you're from the South. 748 00:23:09,890 --> 00:23:11,210 But I didn't have God. 749 00:23:11,870 --> 00:23:12,970 I didn't have God. 750 00:23:13,630 --> 00:23:15,410 I was selfish and self-centered. 751 00:23:15,510 --> 00:23:16,830 I lived only for myself. 752 00:23:17,490 --> 00:23:19,030 When I was 16 years old, I got 753 00:23:19,030 --> 00:23:19,530 a car. 754 00:23:19,590 --> 00:23:21,110 I didn't go back to church once I 755 00:23:21,110 --> 00:23:21,670 was 16. 756 00:23:22,350 --> 00:23:23,970 I went off to college on a football 757 00:23:23,970 --> 00:23:25,450 scholarship, lived in a dorm. 758 00:23:25,550 --> 00:23:27,810 I drank, I partied, I ran around, lived 759 00:23:27,810 --> 00:23:28,610 like the devil. 760 00:23:29,150 --> 00:23:30,890 Never once did I go to church. 761 00:23:31,410 --> 00:23:32,690 But if you were to ask me, was 762 00:23:32,690 --> 00:23:33,370 I a Christian? 763 00:23:33,370 --> 00:23:34,970 I'd say, well, sure I'm a Christian, because 764 00:23:34,970 --> 00:23:36,790 when I was 12, I walked that aisle, 765 00:23:36,950 --> 00:23:38,250 but I didn't have God. 766 00:23:38,870 --> 00:23:39,590 I didn't have God. 767 00:23:39,670 --> 00:23:40,990 There are some of you tonight just like 768 00:23:40,990 --> 00:23:41,290 that. 769 00:23:41,690 --> 00:23:43,390 You've walked an aisle and joined the church, 770 00:23:43,450 --> 00:23:44,610 but you haven't joined Jesus. 771 00:23:44,970 --> 00:23:46,690 You've been baptized in some water, but hey, 772 00:23:46,770 --> 00:23:48,090 you've not been born again. 773 00:23:48,450 --> 00:23:49,970 You have your name on a church roll 774 00:23:49,970 --> 00:23:52,430 somewhere, but God has not written it down 775 00:23:52,430 --> 00:23:54,150 in heaven in the Lamb's Book of Life. 776 00:23:54,350 --> 00:23:55,370 You know how I knew I was not 777 00:23:55,370 --> 00:23:55,830 saved? 778 00:23:55,950 --> 00:23:57,730 My life didn't change. 779 00:23:57,830 --> 00:23:59,330 But the Bible says the proof that you 780 00:23:59,330 --> 00:24:01,770 are really born again, it changes your life. 781 00:24:02,030 --> 00:24:03,790 And men, when it changes your life, it 782 00:24:03,790 --> 00:24:04,690 changes it this way. 783 00:24:04,910 --> 00:24:07,310 When a man really gets saved, it produces 784 00:24:07,310 --> 00:24:08,790 righteousness in his life. 785 00:24:08,930 --> 00:24:10,970 It produces godliness in his life. 786 00:24:11,150 --> 00:24:12,870 It produces holiness in his life. 787 00:24:13,030 --> 00:24:15,510 It produces a passion for the things of 788 00:24:15,510 --> 00:24:15,790 God. 789 00:24:15,970 --> 00:24:17,710 And men, tonight, I love you, but listen 790 00:24:17,710 --> 00:24:17,990 to me. 791 00:24:18,210 --> 00:24:20,690 If tonight you don't have godliness in your 792 00:24:20,690 --> 00:24:22,890 life, if you don't have righteousness in your 793 00:24:22,890 --> 00:24:25,130 life, if you don't have Christ's likeness in 794 00:24:25,130 --> 00:24:26,690 your life, you are not saved. 795 00:24:26,690 --> 00:24:28,950 If tonight you do not have a passion 796 00:24:28,950 --> 00:24:31,110 for the things of God, you don't know 797 00:24:31,110 --> 00:24:31,510 God. 798 00:24:31,750 --> 00:24:33,830 You need to come tonight and repent and 799 00:24:33,830 --> 00:24:36,110 be born again before it's everlastingly too late. 800 00:24:36,350 --> 00:24:38,370 The whole story of the Bible is, yes, 801 00:24:38,450 --> 00:24:41,190 God loves you, but you've sinned against Him, 802 00:24:41,730 --> 00:24:43,270 and you've got to come back and repent. 803 00:24:43,590 --> 00:24:46,210 When I was 36 years old, men, I'd 804 00:24:46,210 --> 00:24:47,690 lived a life without God. 805 00:24:48,250 --> 00:24:49,750 My wife was praying for me. 806 00:24:49,790 --> 00:24:51,350 She prayed for me for eight years to 807 00:24:51,350 --> 00:24:53,850 be saved, and I was a sorry case. 808 00:24:53,910 --> 00:24:55,690 I'm telling you, on Sunday morning, she'd get 809 00:24:55,690 --> 00:24:57,030 up to go to church, and I'd sit 810 00:24:57,030 --> 00:24:58,330 in the living room and read my paper 811 00:24:58,330 --> 00:24:59,050 and drink coffee. 812 00:24:59,130 --> 00:25:00,110 I didn't have time for church. 813 00:25:00,290 --> 00:25:01,890 That was for sissies and little children. 814 00:25:01,950 --> 00:25:03,030 I didn't want to go and be around 815 00:25:03,030 --> 00:25:03,250 that. 816 00:25:03,570 --> 00:25:05,430 Church was boring and dull, I thought, man. 817 00:25:05,530 --> 00:25:06,410 I didn't have time for that. 818 00:25:06,430 --> 00:25:07,110 I was a man. 819 00:25:07,250 --> 00:25:08,190 I wanted to make money. 820 00:25:08,230 --> 00:25:09,170 I wanted to do manly things. 821 00:25:09,190 --> 00:25:10,450 I didn't have time for that sissy religion 822 00:25:10,450 --> 00:25:10,850 stuff. 823 00:25:11,670 --> 00:25:13,650 I was a businessman for about 15 years 824 00:25:13,650 --> 00:25:14,510 on my own business. 825 00:25:14,590 --> 00:25:17,390 Became very successful, but there came a day 826 00:25:17,390 --> 00:25:19,730 when I had tried it all and done 827 00:25:19,730 --> 00:25:22,190 it all, and I had that empty spot 828 00:25:22,190 --> 00:25:22,870 in my heart. 829 00:25:23,750 --> 00:25:25,490 And a man sat me down, a man 830 00:25:25,490 --> 00:25:27,470 who had a lot of courage, and he 831 00:25:27,470 --> 00:25:29,030 said, William, what you've got is religion. 832 00:25:29,130 --> 00:25:30,990 He said, son, religion will kill you. 833 00:25:31,530 --> 00:25:32,670 He said, you don't need no more religion 834 00:25:32,670 --> 00:25:33,130 in your life. 835 00:25:33,210 --> 00:25:34,790 What you need is Jesus to come in 836 00:25:34,790 --> 00:25:35,150 your life. 837 00:25:35,470 --> 00:25:37,030 And I didn't know much about this Bible, 838 00:25:37,170 --> 00:25:37,850 but you know what, men? 839 00:25:38,110 --> 00:25:39,910 I knew I was empty on the inside, 840 00:25:40,270 --> 00:25:41,830 and I knew I was just sick and 841 00:25:41,830 --> 00:25:43,230 tired of being sick and tired. 842 00:25:43,490 --> 00:25:46,050 I was weary of being weary, and I 843 00:25:46,050 --> 00:25:48,450 wanted God to change my life and save 844 00:25:48,450 --> 00:25:49,110 my soul. 845 00:25:49,210 --> 00:25:51,210 I had a little faith, man. 846 00:25:51,530 --> 00:25:53,050 And the preacher told me the story about 847 00:25:53,050 --> 00:25:54,650 how I had sinned against God, and I 848 00:25:54,650 --> 00:25:55,170 knew that. 849 00:25:55,390 --> 00:25:56,670 Hey, he didn't have to convince me I 850 00:25:56,670 --> 00:25:57,050 was a sinner. 851 00:25:57,230 --> 00:25:58,310 I knew I was a sinner. 852 00:25:58,530 --> 00:25:59,610 I knew I was a rebel. 853 00:25:59,830 --> 00:26:00,950 I knew I was prideful. 854 00:26:01,090 --> 00:26:02,150 I knew I was self-centered. 855 00:26:02,390 --> 00:26:03,910 I knew I had lived for myself and 856 00:26:03,910 --> 00:26:04,690 lived without God. 857 00:26:04,850 --> 00:26:06,630 He said, William, you've rebelled against God. 858 00:26:06,670 --> 00:26:07,630 I said, that's the truth. 859 00:26:08,130 --> 00:26:09,110 I've rebelled against God. 860 00:26:09,150 --> 00:26:10,970 He said, William, God loves you, but that 861 00:26:10,970 --> 00:26:12,850 rebellion is sin, and God says the wages 862 00:26:12,850 --> 00:26:13,790 of sin is death. 863 00:26:14,190 --> 00:26:15,590 He said, at this very moment, you're doomed 864 00:26:15,590 --> 00:26:15,990 to hell. 865 00:26:15,990 --> 00:26:16,830 There's no hope. 866 00:26:17,050 --> 00:26:18,830 He said, but the good news, the gospel 867 00:26:18,830 --> 00:26:20,470 is even though you're a rebel, even though 868 00:26:20,470 --> 00:26:22,270 you're a sinner, God loves you, and he 869 00:26:22,270 --> 00:26:23,930 has sent his son to save you. 870 00:26:24,190 --> 00:26:25,790 And Jesus took your sins, William. 871 00:26:25,830 --> 00:26:26,550 He went to a cross. 872 00:26:26,710 --> 00:26:27,730 He died on that cross. 873 00:26:27,890 --> 00:26:29,010 He's paid for your sins. 874 00:26:29,070 --> 00:26:30,310 You don't have to pay your sin debt. 875 00:26:30,490 --> 00:26:31,510 You can be forgiven. 876 00:26:32,370 --> 00:26:33,950 And I said, well, preacher, I believe that. 877 00:26:34,450 --> 00:26:35,790 I mean, I've heard about Jesus all my 878 00:26:35,790 --> 00:26:36,010 life. 879 00:26:36,030 --> 00:26:36,830 I'm a good Baptist. 880 00:26:37,490 --> 00:26:38,870 Listen, men, here's what he told me. 881 00:26:39,450 --> 00:26:40,910 He said, William, you can believe in Jesus 882 00:26:40,910 --> 00:26:41,850 and go straight to hell. 883 00:26:42,710 --> 00:26:44,050 You say, you're here tonight, you believe in 884 00:26:44,050 --> 00:26:44,350 Jesus? 885 00:26:44,810 --> 00:26:46,270 Well, you're no better than the demons of 886 00:26:46,270 --> 00:26:46,570 hell. 887 00:26:47,010 --> 00:26:48,530 The Bible says you believe in God. 888 00:26:48,630 --> 00:26:51,130 Well, congratulations, the demons in hell believe in 889 00:26:51,130 --> 00:26:51,550 God. 890 00:26:52,230 --> 00:26:53,570 Hell's going to be filled up with people 891 00:26:53,570 --> 00:26:54,730 who believe in Jesus. 892 00:26:55,230 --> 00:26:56,250 You can believe in Jesus. 893 00:26:56,670 --> 00:26:57,910 You can believe in your church membership. 894 00:26:58,370 --> 00:26:59,410 You can believe in your baptism. 895 00:26:59,730 --> 00:27:00,650 You can believe in all. 896 00:27:01,310 --> 00:27:02,110 That's not how you get there. 897 00:27:02,150 --> 00:27:03,250 To be born again by the spirit of 898 00:27:03,250 --> 00:27:04,630 God, number one, you must repent. 899 00:27:05,030 --> 00:27:06,630 And that word repent means you must get 900 00:27:06,630 --> 00:27:07,950 honest with God tonight. 901 00:27:08,290 --> 00:27:10,010 See, God knows what you are. 902 00:27:10,170 --> 00:27:11,750 It's like when Adam and Eve sinned in 903 00:27:11,750 --> 00:27:13,810 the garden of Eden and God came looking 904 00:27:13,810 --> 00:27:15,630 for him and God said, Adam, where are 905 00:27:15,630 --> 00:27:15,930 you? 906 00:27:16,530 --> 00:27:18,170 Hey, buddy, he knew where Adam was. 907 00:27:18,690 --> 00:27:20,170 He wanted Adam to know where he was. 908 00:27:20,330 --> 00:27:22,170 He was lost from God. 909 00:27:22,390 --> 00:27:23,630 You've got to know you're a sinner. 910 00:27:24,010 --> 00:27:25,210 You've got to admit you're a sinner. 911 00:27:25,290 --> 00:27:26,290 See, God knows you're a sinner. 912 00:27:26,410 --> 00:27:27,030 God knows you're lost. 913 00:27:27,190 --> 00:27:28,370 He's waiting for you to get a hold 914 00:27:28,370 --> 00:27:28,750 of that. 915 00:27:29,230 --> 00:27:30,210 Then you must repent. 916 00:27:30,310 --> 00:27:31,370 That means you've got to turn from that 917 00:27:31,370 --> 00:27:31,490 sin. 918 00:27:31,570 --> 00:27:33,530 Sir, you can't come to Jesus with sin. 919 00:27:33,890 --> 00:27:35,450 That old alcohol's got to go down. 920 00:27:35,770 --> 00:27:37,530 That fornication's got to go down. 921 00:27:37,730 --> 00:27:39,370 That lying's got to go down. 922 00:27:39,490 --> 00:27:41,350 That rebellion against God's got to go down. 923 00:27:41,410 --> 00:27:43,030 That drug, it's got to go down, buddy. 924 00:27:43,150 --> 00:27:46,050 You can't come to Jesus living like the 925 00:27:46,050 --> 00:27:46,410 devil. 926 00:27:46,630 --> 00:27:48,630 You've got to say, God, I've come and 927 00:27:48,630 --> 00:27:50,170 I lay my sins down. 928 00:27:50,370 --> 00:27:51,530 I leave the world. 929 00:27:51,730 --> 00:27:53,570 I want to come and give my life 930 00:27:53,570 --> 00:27:54,110 to you. 931 00:27:54,430 --> 00:27:55,690 Buddy, I want to tell you, if you 932 00:27:55,690 --> 00:27:57,610 haven't committed your life to Christ, you've not 933 00:27:57,610 --> 00:27:58,270 been born again. 934 00:27:58,430 --> 00:28:00,090 It's not walking an aisle and praying a 935 00:28:00,090 --> 00:28:00,750 little prayer. 936 00:28:01,330 --> 00:28:04,370 It is giving your will up to let 937 00:28:04,370 --> 00:28:07,450 God's will come into your heart and forgive 938 00:28:07,450 --> 00:28:09,770 you and save you. 939 00:28:10,610 --> 00:28:17,930 On Thursday night, October 24th, 1983, I was 940 00:28:17,930 --> 00:28:20,890 36 years old and I got on my 941 00:28:20,890 --> 00:28:24,890 knees and I prayed, God, I know I'm 942 00:28:24,890 --> 00:28:28,710 a sinner and I know I'm lost and 943 00:28:28,710 --> 00:28:30,230 I know there's absolutely nothing I can do 944 00:28:30,230 --> 00:28:31,330 to save myself. 945 00:28:32,410 --> 00:28:33,850 But God, I believe you love me. 946 00:28:33,890 --> 00:28:35,850 I believe Jesus died on that cross just 947 00:28:35,850 --> 00:28:37,230 for me to pay my sin debt. 948 00:28:37,690 --> 00:28:38,630 I believe he was buried. 949 00:28:38,750 --> 00:28:39,770 I believe he was raised from the dead. 950 00:28:39,830 --> 00:28:41,810 And God, I don't understand everything about it, 951 00:28:42,630 --> 00:28:45,870 but with my heart, I believe. 952 00:28:46,850 --> 00:28:48,370 I stepped out on the water. 953 00:28:49,370 --> 00:28:51,770 And that night, man, God did something in 954 00:28:51,770 --> 00:28:54,150 my heart that I can't even explain tonight. 955 00:28:54,510 --> 00:28:56,390 But that night, God came into my heart 956 00:28:56,390 --> 00:28:58,330 and he filled that empty spot up. 957 00:28:58,490 --> 00:29:00,950 And God washed away my sin, took that 958 00:29:00,950 --> 00:29:02,030 guilt of sin. 959 00:29:02,210 --> 00:29:04,130 He put my feet on a solid rock 960 00:29:04,130 --> 00:29:04,490 that night. 961 00:29:04,590 --> 00:29:06,510 He pointed my eyes toward heaven. 962 00:29:06,830 --> 00:29:08,570 He supernaturally changed me. 963 00:29:08,810 --> 00:29:10,250 I have never been the same. 964 00:29:10,690 --> 00:29:13,270 And from that Thursday night until this Friday 965 00:29:13,270 --> 00:29:16,230 night, friends, it has been 15 years. 966 00:29:16,350 --> 00:29:18,290 And I'm telling you, I love Jesus more 967 00:29:18,290 --> 00:29:19,710 tonight than I loved him then. 968 00:29:19,910 --> 00:29:21,970 I have more of a passion tonight than 969 00:29:21,970 --> 00:29:22,610 I had then. 970 00:29:23,910 --> 00:29:26,090 And I'm telling you, God came into my 971 00:29:26,090 --> 00:29:26,430 heart. 972 00:29:26,630 --> 00:29:28,230 He turned my life around. 973 00:29:28,430 --> 00:29:30,090 He put my eyes on him. 974 00:29:30,310 --> 00:29:32,470 He gave me faith to trust him and 975 00:29:32,470 --> 00:29:33,190 to love him. 976 00:29:33,430 --> 00:29:35,610 He forgave me and saved my soul. 977 00:29:35,930 --> 00:29:37,010 But what about you? 978 00:29:38,730 --> 00:29:40,350 What about you? 979 00:29:41,650 --> 00:29:42,850 My friend, I want to ask you, if 980 00:29:42,850 --> 00:29:45,570 you were to die tonight, do you know 981 00:29:45,570 --> 00:29:47,110 for sure that you'd go to heaven? 982 00:29:47,890 --> 00:29:49,210 You say, William, I believe I'd go to 983 00:29:49,210 --> 00:29:49,390 heaven. 984 00:29:49,470 --> 00:29:50,030 Let me ask you this. 985 00:29:50,130 --> 00:29:51,170 Why do you believe that? 986 00:29:51,670 --> 00:29:53,050 What makes you think you're going to heaven 987 00:29:53,050 --> 00:29:53,790 when you die? 988 00:29:54,370 --> 00:29:55,550 You say, well, when I was a young 989 00:29:55,550 --> 00:29:57,230 boy, a young girl, I walked that aisle 990 00:29:57,230 --> 00:29:58,630 and I made a profession of faith in 991 00:29:58,630 --> 00:29:58,970 Jesus. 992 00:29:59,050 --> 00:30:00,930 Got baptized, been in church ever since. 993 00:30:01,010 --> 00:30:02,770 Ma'am, that doesn't mean you're a Christian. 994 00:30:03,250 --> 00:30:05,070 A profession of faith does not mean you're 995 00:30:05,070 --> 00:30:05,570 a Christian. 996 00:30:05,970 --> 00:30:07,670 A profession of faith merely means you say 997 00:30:07,670 --> 00:30:08,370 you're a Christian. 998 00:30:08,730 --> 00:30:09,910 Now, how do I know that? 999 00:30:10,450 --> 00:30:11,790 Because Jesus said it. 1000 00:30:12,210 --> 00:30:14,310 Jesus said, there are many people in Mississippi 1001 00:30:14,310 --> 00:30:16,830 who profess me with their mouth, but with 1002 00:30:16,830 --> 00:30:19,270 their heart and their life, they deny me. 1003 00:30:19,350 --> 00:30:21,270 See, a profession of faith means nothing, sir, 1004 00:30:21,450 --> 00:30:23,770 unless your heart lets go of sin and 1005 00:30:23,770 --> 00:30:25,390 is converted by the Holy Spirit. 1006 00:30:25,770 --> 00:30:27,010 You say, well, I prayed a prayer and 1007 00:30:27,010 --> 00:30:28,250 asked Jesus to come into my heart. 1008 00:30:28,390 --> 00:30:29,890 Well, there's only one problem with that. 1009 00:30:30,150 --> 00:30:31,750 The Bible never says pray a prayer and 1010 00:30:31,750 --> 00:30:32,730 ask Jesus into your heart. 1011 00:30:32,950 --> 00:30:33,810 We made that up. 1012 00:30:34,050 --> 00:30:37,270 The Bible says, repent of your sin and 1013 00:30:37,270 --> 00:30:39,670 be converted by the Holy Spirit. 1014 00:30:39,870 --> 00:30:42,050 Friend, I want to tell you, I'm asking 1015 00:30:42,050 --> 00:30:42,310 you this. 1016 00:30:42,350 --> 00:30:43,650 I'm not asking you, did you walk an 1017 00:30:43,650 --> 00:30:43,790 aisle? 1018 00:30:43,870 --> 00:30:44,690 Did you pray a prayer? 1019 00:30:44,790 --> 00:30:45,770 I'm not asking you, do you believe in 1020 00:30:45,770 --> 00:30:46,230 God? 1021 00:30:47,290 --> 00:30:48,350 I'm asking you this. 1022 00:30:49,170 --> 00:30:51,070 Right now, can you go back to a 1023 00:30:51,070 --> 00:30:53,830 moment you remember when the Holy Spirit of 1024 00:30:53,830 --> 00:30:56,790 God spoke to you and God revealed to 1025 00:30:56,790 --> 00:30:59,450 you that you were a sinner against God, 1026 00:30:59,750 --> 00:31:01,450 that you had broken God's law, you had 1027 00:31:01,450 --> 00:31:03,910 broken God's heart, you were a rebel against 1028 00:31:03,910 --> 00:31:04,190 God. 1029 00:31:04,230 --> 00:31:05,110 You know why you remember it? 1030 00:31:05,290 --> 00:31:06,810 It was the most desperate moment of your 1031 00:31:06,810 --> 00:31:07,170 life. 1032 00:31:07,350 --> 00:31:07,590 Why? 1033 00:31:07,670 --> 00:31:08,670 It felt like the weight of the world 1034 00:31:08,670 --> 00:31:09,430 was on your shoulders. 1035 00:31:09,670 --> 00:31:10,930 Your heart began to beat fast. 1036 00:31:11,090 --> 00:31:12,630 The palms of your hands began to sweat. 1037 00:31:12,870 --> 00:31:14,970 You had sinned against the most high God. 1038 00:31:15,190 --> 00:31:16,330 You were condemned to hell. 1039 00:31:16,690 --> 00:31:17,510 What were you going to do? 1040 00:31:18,430 --> 00:31:19,810 And then somebody took a Bible and told 1041 00:31:19,810 --> 00:31:21,890 you about Jesus, how he had died to 1042 00:31:21,890 --> 00:31:23,830 pay for all your sins, how he'd been 1043 00:31:23,830 --> 00:31:25,190 buried in a tomb and raised, that you 1044 00:31:25,190 --> 00:31:26,650 got on your face and you said, Oh 1045 00:31:26,650 --> 00:31:28,670 God, be merciful to me, a sinner. 1046 00:31:29,470 --> 00:31:31,030 And that night you gave your life to 1047 00:31:31,030 --> 00:31:34,330 Christ and you stood up and after praying 1048 00:31:34,330 --> 00:31:37,350 that little childlike prayer, something inside of your 1049 00:31:37,350 --> 00:31:41,570 heart that night, it changed and you've never 1050 00:31:41,570 --> 00:31:43,450 been the same since. 1051 00:31:44,150 --> 00:31:46,110 Have you been born again? 1052 00:31:46,930 --> 00:31:49,110 Do you know for sure that if you 1053 00:31:49,110 --> 00:31:51,730 were to die tonight, that you'd go to 1054 00:31:51,730 --> 00:31:51,950 heaven? 1055 00:31:52,910 --> 00:31:53,670 That's my ranch. 1056 00:31:55,210 --> 00:31:57,410 You've been listening to the From the Pulpit 1057 00:31:57,410 --> 00:31:58,750 in Classic Sermon series. 1058 00:31:59,510 --> 00:32:01,770 This week you heard William Blackburn with his 1059 00:32:01,770 --> 00:32:04,630 message, How to Have a Miracle-Working Faith. 1060 00:32:05,630 --> 00:32:08,270 Tune in next week for another powerful message 1061 00:32:08,270 --> 00:32:11,350 from God's Word on From the Pulpit and 1062 00:32:11,350 --> 00:32:12,510 Classic Sermons.