John's Testimony of Christ

Welcome once again to the midweek service on Wednesday night from the auditorium of beacon Baptist Church Kirkpatrick Rd. in Burlington, NC. Tonight is the last Wednesday when we will be doing our service this way. As we been doing it for a year now with covert, namely Lifestream without people present for the most part, except those occasional visitors who have dropped in and always are welcome to join us but starting next Wednesday night will be having a regular midweek service, at least for a while will be having both will continue to lifestream as well as have a service in the auditorium, but eventually, I expect we will phase out the lifestream because the nature of the Wednesday night service some of the more informal things that we normally do, do not really lend themselves very well to a lifestream situation, but for a while will do both will continue lifestream for those of you who are listening at home and I know there are quite a few of you who are doing that, but eventually as I say we will read recent return entirely to our format which we had before covert starting next Wednesday at 7 o'clock. You are invited to come and I hope you will be here.

Look forward to gathering together at that time I will be back leaving the service next Wednesday night because Pastor Carnes and Carly are scheduled to be on vacation the Lord looks from Kevin. He sees all the sons of men from the place of his dwelling. He looks at all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions their hearts individually. He considers all their works well.

Our Sunday morning schedule continues as it has for a good many months now. Meeting at 930 with people present were grateful for the good attendance that we have had and we look forward to your presence here at 930 this coming Sunday morning followed by Sunday school and that's the new event. We started that a few weeks ago maybe three weeks ago and that is well attended and were very grateful for that. So both services on Sunday morning worship at 930 Sunday school to follow at 1110.

It will not be long. I expect until will be doing regular Sunday night services as well. But that's still being held off as we add to things gradually to our schedule and make sure they're all working smoothly before we had something else to our schedule. So for now Sunday morning people present Sunday school people present Wednesday night.

Starting next Wednesday.

People present Sunday night lifestream only except for those appointed special meetings that we've had several of when we gather people together for the Lord's table or other purposes. On Sunday night, the Ocean City Bible conference in New Jersey is being conducted this year.

It had to be canceled last year because of covert.

As you know, but they are planning to convene this September 12-15, but they are limiting the attendance to about half what they normally have in order to be able to socially distance which means that if you're interested in attending. You need to get your your intention communicated to pastor Michael Carnes as quickly as possible because as soon as registration opens up the spaces are going to be filled up very quickly.

Pastor Kate told us today in our weekly elders meeting that as of now he has seven people who are committed to going and several others who have shown an interest in holding my hand a baby bottle as you can probably see on your screen to remind you that the annual baby bottle boomerang for elements. Pregnancy services begins a week from this Sunday. Not this Sunday but the following week on Mother's Day and continues until Father's Day and the idea is to pick up one of these empty bottles to put whatever you can into it change Bill's checks. All are welcome, but whatever contributions you are able into it. Return the bottle and they'll all be collected and it becomes the major fundraiser of the year for elements.

Pregnancy services. I forget how much they raise, but it is into the tens of thousands of dollars through the change in generally small bills that are placed inside these bottles.

I do make note of the fact that John and Henniker Savage did successfully move on. I think that was Saturday last week Marty and I were in Pennsylvania, but they are now 3410 Copper Trace Dr., Fall River, NC 27258.

Please make a note of their new address and welcome them into their newly constructed home ladies coffee encourage will not be meeting this coming Tuesday but they will resume the following Tuesday, May 11 at 915 in the Fellowship Hall that has been there pattern. I think two weeks on one week off. If I'm not mistaken, so this coming Tuesday is a week off several of you have asked about messages from our recent spring Bible conference with Mark Webb. The best way to access those is by going to our church website. Click on now there's something there that indicates sermons, videos, whatever African with the exact word is which you click there.

It'll take you right to the site where you can download that message and literally hundreds. Yes, even thousands of others as well. At that location. Don't forget our Book-of-the-Month by Dr. Irwin looser entitled, we will not be silenced. That's a very important one for Christians to read in this age when there is growing hostility against all things Christian Christian morality Christian gospel witness Christian beliefs and we need to know how to address these things in a Christ honoring way, but nevertheless not to be afraid to be courageous. We will not be silenced.

This hymn, by and steel dear refuge of my weary soul on the when sorrows rise on the when waves of trouble roll my fainting hope relies to the I tell each rising grief for thou alone can heal thy word can bring a sweet relief for every pain I feel at all when gloomy doubts prevail.

I fear to call the mind, the springs of comfort seem to fail in all my hopes decline yet gracious God, where shall I flee thou art my only trust and still my soul would cleave to the though prostrate in the dentist asked Donna did me seek my face, and shall I seek in vain and can the year of sovereign grace be deaf when I complain no still the air of sovereign grace attends the mourners prayer, or may I ever find access to breathe my sorrows there by Murphy mercy seat is open. Still here let my soul retreat with humble hope attend thy will and wait. Beneath thy feet, thy mercy seat is open. Still here let my soul retreat with humble hope attend thy will and wait.

Beneath thy feet. Let's look to the Lord in prayer. A gracious heavenly father, we confess that there are times when our faith grows weak. There are times when we are struggling to believe the promises of your word and to apply them to our lives. Yet, dear Lord, where else can we go, but do you you are the one true God, you are the one who sent your son to redeem us from our sin.

You are the one who is made us gracious promises which have proved to be true in every case in our lives and for that old Lord, we give you praise and to that old Lord, we testify that you are a great and gracious God, and we have learned to rely upon you as a father in the midst of trials and challenges in the midst of this covert pandemic that is improving, and yet is still slowing us down and causing this concern, we commit our lives to you.

Our cares to you our fears to you and we trust you, Lord God to guide us to guard us to provide for us and to bring us safely through the prayer Lord that you will bless our meeting tonight by way of technology that we may join our hearts together in worship to you. We may lift our hearts together and praise to your name, that we may hear with faith the words which you have given that we may honor you with our thoughts and with our lives this hour, as we ask it in Jesus name, amen. Glad to report the Jeff Etheridge relative of Jane.

The tour is improving and also that Brenda Blanchard's sister, Elizabeth, Lily has a good report from her recent cancer surgery as we pray for government officials or government official the week this week is president Joe Biden.

Please uphold him in prayer. Pray for Drew Guthrie as she continues to battle cancer. Pray for Doris Loftus as she continues to recover from her broken arm. Pray for Debbie read as she is undergoing therapy, physical therapy for her gait, ataxia, and for Shirley Watkins who was home and is and made several trips as you know, to the emergency room but has been able to return home safely from each of those events were glad to report that Nancy Ellis and South Carolina, the daughter-in-law of Paul and Gail Ellis is improving doing better. Thank the Lord for that good report, Tony Honeycutt, the director of Piedmont rescue mission underwent a heart catheterization today and is now recovering from that and waiting. The report on them.

Meister had a traumatic brain injury six years old. This is a friend of Sue Vestal and also leave Vestal continues to have health issues noted get some encouragement in his visits to the doctor this week. We've also been asked to pray for Rev. Benny Vickery, who has tested positive for covert. I suppose some of you may remember when he pastored in this area. Though it's been quite a while ago.

I think he now lives in Rockwell North Carolina. He would be about my age and my age of 73. My birthday is today.

As you know, so covert is more more dangerous for people who are senior citizens of please pray for Rev. Benny Vickery and for David Williams who is in South Carolina.

Amy Freeman's father, but Daniel and Amy are making plans to move her father and mother are here to North Carolina to be close to them. We continue to pray for Laverne washing adjusts to the death of her husband, Stuart, now read an email from her in a moment. We continue to pray for Mike Webster missionary to France as he is battling colon cancer as well has Trevor Johnson, who is home because of medical issues from Indonesia doing. Veteran reported recently that is well enough now to begin to travel and to visit churches once again.

So we rejoice in that is pray for his continued healing and full recovery and also guidance and direction about his next area of missionary labors whether to return to his previous field in Indonesia or he's considering possibly someplace like Malaysia is an alternative place and that of course were praying for Paul Snyder. Likewise, home from Indonesia because of medical issues and also making them provement and he is definitely making plans to return to the field whenever the doctors tell him that he can return express our sympathy to the family of Mae Chrisman this is Dan Hemmings grandmother Dan is the husband of Abigail Carnes Hemmings and his grandmother was 90 some years old, passed away. Apparently a dear saint of God. Please pray for the family and also the family of Maria quite an aunt of Sue Vestal who passed away recently.

Praying for Andrew Fleming, Amy Freeman's nephew were praying for John Crumpler is recovering from liver surgery, friend of Eddie driver and we continue to pray for our shut-ins, and particularly Betty Duncan who is at the moment at: hospital and is considering going into a rehab facility. Not sure exactly what's in store for her in the days to come we will return to these requests. At the end of the service as we remember them before the Lord in prayer. Now a number of missionary communications. Beginning with this one from Laverne law.

She writes dear Pastor being Marty as far as my coming to the states she had expressed a desire and a whole that she could come to the states for a few weeks this summer.

That's not going to happen. She says I will not be able to travel at least until the end of the year if them. Pres. Biden has put a ban on people traveling from Southern Africa to the USA because of the South African variant of covert it is far more infectious and contagious in the original strain. She says I think Pres. Biden is wise because the strain is wreaking havoc in the high density areas of South Africa. It is not as bad here as our lockdown rules in Zimbabwe are very strict and strongly enforced. Our numbers have gone down. Pastor Bob Boyd wants to come at the end of June but I'm not sure how he is placed as an American citizen.

That is, whether he will be allowed to come in the country. You will have to look into it and also monitor the situation to ensure that he doesn't walk into 1/3 wave.

The course is always the concern about returning to the states when you've been out of the country.

Lot of concerns going on at this time. She says vaccination is taking place all over Zimbabwe. We had our first shot without any negative effect will have the second in a couple of weeks.

I'm not sure of the efficacy, but I think it's only around 54% as we have only two ventilators in the country and our hospitals are dilapidated and very poorly stocked. The vaccine is better than nothing in the Lord is in control. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I missed you terribly. After 49 years together and can hardly believe that he is gone. His quiet wisdom and deep commitment to the Lord were great strength to me but the Lord has graciously given us all we need to go on in his work here is ways a perfect how privileged we are to be his children.

My love to you both. I greatly look forward to seeing you again is a Lord allowed to Marty and me. And then this one to you. The church family. I'm so thankful to you all for your prayers. Love and encouragement throughout the years, and particularly this past year Stu has been with the Lord. Three months now and after feeling sad and lonely and disjointed. During this time I am at last able to begin refocusing and pushing on with the work. The Lord has called us to do. Thank you for your generous gift of $3000 which is helped toward a number of costs in bringing Stuart home to Zimbabwe for his final week on earth he was able to see Sarah and Lee and Steve and Sheila and Sandy, as well as the grandchildren and spent his final weekly, exhorting us all to trust the Lord implicitly no matter what and to remain faithful and steadfast and serving him.

I miss him so the works are going well in Zimbabwe people are coming to Christ. We were recently able to baptize new believers in the river, because the Lord sent a good ring the season of the rivers are flowing again.

We had to keep an eye open for crocodiles in that particular river, but all went well and people continue to walk with the Lord of the trust him. In these economically disastrous times. Your contributions have gone alloy a long way in alleviating the hunger and sickness that these difficult times.

Bring in an extremely grateful to you for your help. A new work is beginning.

In applying the Stuart was buried where there is a great hunger for the word of God. I will be traveling there with different pastors to establish the Bible studies and to hold evangelistic meetings. Please pray with us for a pastor to shepherd this new flock we now have 12 churches in a very thankful for my son. My son-in-law Leah Rasmussen who works tirelessly with me to organize pastor salaries from South Africa because the sin Zimbabwe banking system has collapsed most of our people lived from hand to mouth in great poverty and Lee helps me in sourcing and delivering food aid in medicine to them, most of whom have no access to any medical help. He really is a blessing on faithful and committed servant of the Lord. I'm thankful to Sarah to who encourages him in the work and is happy for him to be away from home.

When he travels to South Africa and to the bushy areas. Once again, dear friends, my grateful thanks to you all for your constant encouragement and support for all of us in Zimbabwe. Love in Christ, now a short note regarding Tom Chapman in Chile. It's as Tom Chapman spilled spent a short time in the ER in a hospital in Antofagasta, Chile in March. As a result of a severe headache and dizziness. He seems to be doing better now. His headaches and eyestrain problems have been worse during the last few months limiting his reading and study time.

Pray for Tom Chapman to faithful minister of the Lord from Jesse and Hannah Green, who are thought they were already going to be on the field of their missionary service, but it hasn't happened because they're going to a country which is closed and they have been denied access to it and I'm not going to mention it because it's going out over the Internet. But most of you I think will know what country that is so as an alternative to going to a nearby country that has the same language can learn the language they been waiting for. Of visas to allow them entrance into that neighboring country and this letter tells us that the visas have now arrived.

I have been excitedly waiting to send out this month's update. We were told a few weeks ago that are visas for neighboring country have been approved, but that we would have to spend rather send rather couple more items before they would release them to us due to our experience of thinking we would get to move to target country last year only for that to fall through. I want to make sure that we had visas in hand before I updated you all of this progress. Thankfully we received our visas two days ago.

This means that from a paperwork standing point, we are ready to move to the neighboring country. We do not have specific dates yet but are looking to move in the next few months. Please pray as we plan for this move and will be doing a lot of packing. I will let you know when we have a definite date of departure.

One other exciting bit of news is that Hannah is currently 15 weeks pregnant. We found out last week that we will have another boy is due in the middle of October. Thankful for your constant love supporting prayers for us in Christ Jesse green along with Hannah and their two children, soon to be three problems. See Lawson Vons your comp posts in Brazil or Christian greetings. The bad news is that as of today covered 19 has killed 378,530 people here in Brazil. But the good news is that more than 12 billion people have recovered. I think that probably means million and 33 million have received the vaccine. It has to be million. There are 12 billion people in Brazil. Assault slowly.

Things are getting back to normal this coming Sunday. The government allowed us to have in person services again, but only with 25% of our auditorium capacity. We are happy about this return. We are of course basing our seating at half capacity 50% capacity here in our touring that seems to be working well.

Though, as the intendant slowly slowly increases it has been a bit tight at times. I'm hoping will soon be able to open up all the pews to relieve that situation. He goes on to say this month our publishing ministry has released a book by Pastor Kevin DeYoung pastors now in Charlotte North Carolina formally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pastor Kevin DeYoung entitled a whole and our holiness purposes did not denounce that among evangelicals was a flood of gospel centered discussion with great focus on personal depravity, but very little emphasis on the pursuit of holiness. Pray God will use this book to edify his church in Brazil, Portugal and Mozambique. Three countries were Portuguese is spoken. More good news is the birth of Sophia Jane McMillan that would be a grandson of theirs, Barbara and Todd had already given us.

Leo and Alex and now they have.

They gave us our 12th grandchild five boys seven girls due to government restrictions we were not able to be with our daughter at Sophia's birth through the Internet.

We were able to watch her baby shower and birth. We thank God for the love and assistance they received from their local church in Lynchburg Virginia folks.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

We love you in Christ, see Lawson and Bollinger campus. I have one more letter. This is from the Goodmans in Alaska.

We had a bunch of snow towards the end of March and the beginning of April. It is all melting. Now and we have swapped snow boots for rubber boots and he is finishing up CFI would be see some kind of flight instruction, commercial commercial flight instruction and plans to take his truck ride soon.

Lots of aircraft maintenance happened over the winter months summer preparation is well underway.

We are looking forward to a full summer season of ministry and they have a lot of pictures and photos here which I can't share with you.

Of course, but it's good look at them and see Andy and Trish and the children are growing growing growing. You wouldn't believe how big their getting and then this pray for ministry connections and meaningful relationships. Much of our work is behind the scenes, but please pray for opportunities for us to be a witness for Christ. Pray for the interactions that Andy has two KIC ministry, but also our relationships with the people in Palmer the city where they live.

Pray that we might manage the moods of the season in Alaska, summer and winter hold different challenges and of course because of the extreme hours of daylight in the summer in the extreme hours of darkness and the summer, which almost all light and never gets really dark for short periods of winter.

Just the opposite takes a real toll on people emotionally and psychologically, but we need to be aware of how we are affected during these times and how to take care of ourselves overall health and wellness is doing better as we prioritize, exercise and healthy living.

We are not strangers to healthy living. But it has not been in its rightful priority over the past year. Please pray for our children. Pray for all the kids things you can think of. Pray for the kingdom their core missionary families pray for summer preparations which are underway as we are praying for fruitful summer and in regard to financial report support. We always take our request to the Lord and asked that he meet our needs. Pray for wisdom in all situations ministering parenting, finances, marriage, schedules, and decision-making, and that is love in Christ for Mandy and Trish Goodman Alaska now open your Bibles with me to John chapter 1 we been working for the prologue of the gospel of John on Wednesday nights, we have completed our study done through verse 14 was our study two weeks ago. The last time I was in the pulpit on Wednesday. Tonight were going to look at the final verses of the prologue versus 15, 16, 17 and 18.

The first 15 first 14 verses are basically a revelation of who Jesus is, namely the eternal God, one with the father creator of the world and so forth.

The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. Last four versus 1516 1718 are about the proclamation of who Jesus is, will see that tonight. Let me read the prologue and they will get right in to tonight study in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness to the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all through him might believe he was not that light was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him.

He came to his own and his own did not receive him, but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in his name who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory to glory is the as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, this is he of whom I said, he who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me and of his fullness we have all received grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has seen God at any time, the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father.

He has declared him.

John is writing this gospel is you recall to convinced his readers that Jesus is the Christ that Jesus the man the baby born to Mary, the young man who grew up in Nazareth and a carpenter shop. The man who walked the hills and valleys of Galilee of walked the streets of Jerusalem and preached of the multitudes in performed many miracles. This man Jesus is wise and is the Christ, the Messiah, the appointed one by God to be the Savior of the world.

John writes his gospel to convince his readers that is true so that you might believe. He tells us in the last of the next-to-last chapter of his gospel that these things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing you might have life in his name, but having now the prologue's log set before us.

This amazing portrait of who Jesus is the word, the eternal word, one with the father, creator of the universe who nevertheless left heaven's glory and came to earth.

The word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and now having presented. This one, whom he calls the word he now gives us four testimonies about Christ and what are they, number one, the testimony of John number two. The testimony of the apostles. Number three the testimony of Moses and finally number four. The testimony of God the father.

First of all, the testimony of John back to verse 15 John bore witness of him and cried out, saying this was he of whom I said, he who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. What is John tell us about this one. John's testimony is characterized by at least five things number one. His testimony was a faithful testimony. John bore witness of him. That's what he was sent to do. Of course he was sent as the forerunner of Christ. He was sent to proclaim to the nation of Israel, that the promised Christ had now, he was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. That was his commission.

He carried it out faithfully, John bore witness of Kim and we say thank God that he did but I pause to ask a question, have you been commissioned to tell anything about this one and have you been faithful to your commission. John's testimony was faithful. Secondly, John's testimony was fervent.

John bore witness of him and what is it say cried out, saying this was he of whom I said, cried out, he was fervent he was insistent. He was energetic. He was enthusiastic he would not be silenced.

He was not timid. He did not hide his witness under a bushel, he cried out with this testimony about Jesus the Christ is testimony third was clear this is. See, of whom I spake the one you just described are the one who has just been described by the apostle John is the one that John the Baptist said this is the one of whom I spoke and on at least one occasion, he said something similar when Jesus was walking toward him across the claimant to the place of John's baptism by the river Jordan and as Jesus was coming to John. John pointed him out to the crowd that was gathered around him and said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Nothing could be more clear than that, nothing ambiguous, nothing hidden veiled mysterious unclear perfectly clear who he was talking about who he was identifying as the promised Messiah. They hold their the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

His witness was clear. We can also note number four that his witness was humble was deferential. What did he say this is he of whom I said, he who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. My look at those words several times before we come to an understanding of exactly what he was saying what he was saying is that he who came after me is greater than I surpass to be, but is also saying he that came after me, preceded me either came after me and birth. For as you know John was born first and then Jesus came a few months later about three months later, as I recall, so John came first, Jesus came second.

But John says he preceded me came after John and ministry who came on the scene first John the Baptist. He came preaching repentance for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He called men and women to repentance into the baptism of repentance and crowds came to hear him and to be baptized by him and then after that preceding ministry to prepare for Jesus. Jesus came on the scene and so in terms of ministry.

John came first, Jesus came second healing. He came after me and yet he says he is preferred before me, that is greater than I am, for he was before me. Now, in what sense could the one who was born second day before the one that was born first in what sense can the one whose ministry came second.

Be before the one whose ministry came first in the answer has already been given to us in the prologue.

In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God all things were made through him and without him was nothing made that was made and so forth. He is before John because he is eternal.

He is before job because he was with God before John was ever conceived thousands of years before John, he is before John because he had no beginning, as John did in the flesh of course he had the beginning of the womb of the Virgin Mary, but as to his essence as to his true identity as to as to who he was.

He is not only preferred before job that is of greater eminence of greater honor of greater position, but in his existence. He is way before John. John recognized that John stated that John showed true humility. He said another occasion, he must increase, I must decrease what other reaction could a God-fearing person have in the presence of the eternal deity who has come to earth. This of course could be the only proper position to be humble before him, and to take one's proper place, but how many of us in our sinful depravity find ourselves jockeying for position wanting to be preferred above others.

Hopefully, surely not above Jesus Christ himself many times unwilling to take the servants placed many times unwilling to esteem others better than ourselves. Many times, unwilling to the last.

Like Jesus taught us to be when he said that the first shall be last of the last first John showed the proper humility in his testimony, but his testimony was not only faithful and fervent in clear and humble. It was also effective.

He bore witness John bore witness of him and his witness was effective managing pointed to Christ by the witness of John. Many continue to be pointed to Christ by the witness of John recorded in the Bible and still speaking 2000 years after John has left this earth. John shows us what it takes to be a good testimony a good witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is it take takes number one knowledge we got to know something if you're going to witness it. What does it mean to be a witness to be a testimony. It means to testify to tell of something that we know assuredly what is a witness doing the courtroom witness says I saw such and such. You don't testify in court unless you know something for certain. It takes knowledge to be a good testimony take zeal to be a good testimony Be excessively timid. You can't be an introvert, though there are people. Of course with that personality, but with God's help and grace are going to have to push themselves out there going to have to push out of their comfort zone. They're going to have to push out of their natural seclusion in order to boldly live.

John cried out a testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. What is a take it takes dependability. It takes perseverance it takes. Stick to it.

If John, we look at the ministry of John we say my, what an effective ministry. What a a God blessed ministry.

What a large ministry. Crowds followed him, but I am certain because I know how these things go, that they were times when John said I'm not accomplishing anything. I'm not seeing national revival like I hope to see you thought I would see I am not saying the religious leaders repenting. I've had to tell them to go away.

Who told you to be baptized. Come back when you break fruits that are suitable for repentance. There a lot of things about the ministry of John that had to be very discouraging to him, and there were times.

I'm sure when he felt like saying I quit. It's no use I'm not accomplishing what I wanted to accomplish on not accomplishing what God sent me to accomplish but he didn't. He didn't stop he kept on. He was dependable. He was persevering he was a good testimony.

What is it take to be a good witness for Jesus Christ to take clarity.

We not only need to know something that we need to articulate it clearly that require some work in the news from time to time thinking about myself amused from time to time with people who don't know much about ministry, ask about the, the mechanics of a preaching. I had a relative who is now no longer living actually relative my wife. We fervently hope and pray came to Christ before he died. We really feel like the Lord put us in contact with him after decades of no contact whatsoever came right here to Burlington. We had a good chance to talk to him but he knew nothing about the Lord. Nothing about the Bible. Nothing about the Christian religion. Nothing about the ministry and he said, knowing that I was a preacher.

He said no. How do you what you do for your service to just pick out a verse and just sort of talked about it to you talking in terms of just winging it just not just say whatever comes to your mind just digging up gabbing about what comes to your mind. And I said no my dear friend, it's not like that. I spend many many hours preparing to preach. It takes tolerance of preparation to understand the text and hopefully to explain it clearly it takes more than simply studying it, understanding it, that step number one you can't make clear what you don't understand, but it takes several hours beyond studying the text it takes several hours of whittling the confines the contours of how this is going to be presented so that it will be clear so it will be understandable so that it will be playing. That's part of what it takes to be a good testimony.

I'm sure that I don't always do it well. I'm sure that I often don't do it as well as I want to. I think I told you that there been a few times in my years of ministry when somebody has said something to me like even preaching a long time. What's your best sermon and my response is always the same. The next one. The next hi, never, never preach as well as I want to sermon is as good as I wanted to be. But hopefully, by God's grace.

The next one is going to be better than the last one and better than any before it because I keep working for understanding and clarity to make the message clear and plain. John certainly manifests that and then finally, what does it take to be a good witness of Jesus Christ. It takes humility. You can be proud can't be boastful you can be full of yourself.

You can be more interested in yourself and you are of others you not here to just lambaste people with truth. You are here to humbly love them to empathize with them to feel their need to feel their burden to understand their bondage to sin and to humbly reach out to them is one beggar to another. Only difference between your self of your Christian and the person that you are trying to tell the gospel to the only difference is that God has given you bread. You are a beggar who has found bread by the grace of God, and now you are a beggar was trying to point others to the source of that bread who is Jesus Christ, the bread of life and so were all beggars dependent upon the mercy of God.

Hoping doubt desperately needing to receive eternal bread, eternal life from God himself and we need to understand that as we humbly approach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And when we testify in this way, our labors, by the help and grace of God will often be effective. There are, as you know, no guarantees. We can't push a button and see if I do this.

1234 ABCD.

I will have these results EFG NH there is no such formula in the Bible. It all depends upon the spirit of God.

It all depends upon the sovereignty of God.

The Windows Jesus said in John chapter 3. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, the wind blows where it desires you hear the sound, but you can't tell where it's coming from and where it is going so is everyone who is born of the spirit, we can't save a single soul.

We are dependent totally upon the sovereign work of God but he is in the business of saving souls is in the business of rescuing people out of their loss condition. He is in the business of taking the gospel proclaimed by Christians and opening the hearts of sinners that need to be saved, and enabling them to understand the gospel and kindling them to life, so that they might receive the gospel and might believe in Jesus Christ and might be eternally saved. He's in the business of doing that and so we have the. The expectation that hope. The anticipation every time we go forth with the gospel of God by his mercy and power may very well use that message that effort that labor that testimony to birth some center into his eternal kingdom if he were done with the work of salvation, then surely the Lord would've already returned and eternity would have been God but he tarries his coming. Why so that others who are now parachuting will come to Christ is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. What a merciful God, what a gracious God, saving God and he uses our feeble effort week and sinful. Though we may, nevertheless, John the Baptist was not a perfect man. He had some rather odd things about them. But God used in because he was faithful proclaiming the message of the gospel and God will use his children who will witness for him like John did with knowledge and zeal and perseverance, and clarity and humility. We have great reason to believe that God will use that to the eternal salvation of soul's. Now let's join our hearts together in prayer. Father, you are sovereign it all the worlds you made.

You are sovereign in the work of salvation. You alone know Lord, are able to bring dead mental life to give sight to to the blind, to give ears to the death you alone know, Lord, are able to take those souls that are broken and maimed by sin and heal them bring them to to health to life to vitality, eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ, you are able. You have done it for us.

You are able to do it for others and for this we give you praise.

We thank you that Jeff Etheridge is improving. Please continue. Lord, to minister to his needs. We thank you that Elizabeth Lily has successfully completed her cancer surgery and has received an encouraging report. We pray the Lord for the leaders that you have placed over us. We pray for the President of the United States, Joseph Biden, Lord, we know that he is in that office because you have appointed him to that position. We realize a Lord that though he may not be consciously doing this he is indeed fulfilling your purposes in that office. Father we pray for him. We pray that you might guide him into my directive.

We pray Lord that you might give him wisdom beyond which he has at this time we pray Lord that you will frustrate any desires and designs that he has that are not honoring to Christ in dark not good for the people over whom he is president. We pray Lord that you will work mightily in his life as he has such influence and power in the United States of America. We pray for Drew Guthrie this dear sister, please draw near to her. She battles cancer and Doris Loftus that she might be brought to full recovery and Debbie read that you might help her as she learns to walk more freely. More capably again for Shirley Watkins that you might strengthen her in her declining condition. Thank you. The Nancy Ellis and South Carolina's doing better and please continue to strengthen her. We pray for Tony Honeycutt that you might give him a good report from his heart catheterization that you might keep him strong and able to continue to lead this ministry in our town that has been such a blessing to so many. We pray for Nahum Meister.

The six-year-old with a brain injury differently vessel to see battles various health issues, fusion for Rev. Benny Vickery, as he's now dealing with covert pray that you might bring him through safely through this disease that we know can take lives. We pray for David Williams, Amy Freeman's father and for his special needs and also for her mother, Naomi Williams and the different set of needs that she has. We pray for Laverne while we pray for missionary Mike Webster.

We pray for missionary Travis Johnson. We pray for missionary Paul Snyder. We pray Lord for those who have lost loved ones for the family of Mae Chrisman in the family of Marie White. We are also praying for Andrew Fleming which you might work powerfully within his soul, and for John Crumpler is recovering from serious surgery and for Betty Duncan who is in a great deal of pain.

Now, Lord God, receive our prayers receive them by the merits of your own son by the perfect righteousness which is his, which has been given to those who trust in him. Receive our prayers and answer them according to your perfect will ask in Jesus name, amen