Heaven
Pastor Aaron Batchelor Preached on 9/6/2026
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Summary
Pastor Aaron Batchelor explores the promise of Heaven from John 14, encouraging believers that Jesus is preparing a real place for them and that His presence is the ultimate source of peace amidst life's troubles.
Key points
- •Heaven is a physical location prepared by Jesus, not merely a state of mind or a myth.
- •The vastness of the universe reflects the glory of God, yet the Creator of all galaxies knows every individual intimately.
- •Being 'troubled' is not a failure of faith; even Jesus was troubled, but he instructs believers to place their trust in Him rather than their turmoil.
- •God's perceived delay in returning is actually an act of mercy, providing more time for repentance and restoration.
- •The ultimate joy of Heaven is not the mansions or streets of gold, but the promise of being with Jesus and seeing Him face to face.
Scripture
Hope
Purpose
Faith
Spiritual Growth
Restoration
Life application
When you feel anxious or 'troubled' this week, consciously shift your focus from your temporary problems to the eternal reality of Heaven. Take a moment each morning to thank God for His mercy and ask Him for an opportunity to share the hope of Jesus with someone else.
Reflection questions
- In what ways have the temporary troubles of this life overshadowed your perspective of eternity lately?
- How does the reality that Jesus is personally preparing a place for you change the way you view your current home or circumstances?
- What does it mean to you that God's delay in returning is a sign of His mercy rather than a broken promise?
- If you knew Jesus was returning tomorrow, what would you change about your life or conversations today?
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Full transcript
0:00Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.
0:00Thank you, Jesus.
0:02>> Aren't you thankful he's been faithful
0:03to us even when we haven't been faithful
0:06to him?
0:08Come on. Is pastor the only one standing
0:10here today that slipped up, made a few
0:13mistakes? Am I the only one here today
0:15that's thankful for the faithfulness of
0:17God? I don't think so. I'm I'm glad
0:18today he's been faithful to us even when
0:21we weren't faithful to him.
0:25He remains faithful. He cannot deny
0:28himself. Thank you for your worship this
0:30morning. We're going to go to the word
0:31of the Lord here today in John chapter
0:3414. One of my favorite passages in all
0:36of scripture is John chapter 14. [music]
0:40And uh we're going to begin at the very
0:42first verse.
0:44So glad that you're here this morning. I
0:45don't believe it's by accident or
0:47coincidence that you're in this house
0:50[music] today, but I believe that God
0:52has something very special he wants to
0:55say to you, wants to do into your life.
0:57And
0:58by the help of the Holy Ghost, we're
1:00going to preach from John chapter 14.
1:02Amen.
1:03>> Praise God. Thank you, Lord.
1:08Let not your heart be troubled.
1:15Let not
1:16>> your heart
1:18>> be troubled.
1:20>> You believe in God.
1:23>> Jesus said, "Believe also in me."
1:25>> That's right.
1:26>> In my father's house
1:29>> are many mansions.
1:31>> If it were not so, I would have told
1:32you.
1:34>> I go to prepare a place for you.
1:37>> And if I go and prepare a place for you,
1:40I will come again.
1:43and I will receive you unto myself, that
1:45where I am, there ye may be also.
1:49>> Whether I go, you know, and the way you
1:52know. Oh, Brother Thomas spoke up and he
1:55said, "Lord, we don't know where you're
1:57going."
1:58>> And how can we know the way?
2:02I'm glad some people ask questions.
2:06I know questions sometimes can be
2:08uncomfortable, but I'm so glad that
2:10Thomas asked the question that perhaps a
2:12lot of us think sometimes. I don't know
2:14where you're going and I don't know the
2:16way.
2:17>> And I'm thankful that old brother Thomas
2:19had the courage enough to speak up and
2:21go uh question.
2:24We don't know where you're going
2:26>> and we don't know the way. And Jesus
2:28said unto him, "I am the way,
2:32>> the truth,
2:33>> and the life,
2:34>> and no man comes unto the father but by
2:37me." Thank you, brother Thomas, for
2:38asking that question, cuz we may have
2:40never gotten the response from Jesus to
2:43know that he's the way, the truth, and
2:45the life.
2:46>> How many's thankful today that Jesus is
2:48the way, and he's got a place prepared
2:50for you?
2:53Amen.
2:55For quite a while now, my mind has been
2:58turned towards heaven. What it's going
3:00to be like
3:02who gets to go? What happens when our
3:04life is over? I know everybody's got an
3:07opinion. Some people think that we die
3:09and that's all that there is. There's
3:11just nothingness. Some people believe in
3:13reincarnation. Some people believe that
3:15heaven's just simply a state of mind.
3:17Others believe it's nothing more than a
3:19myth. But we have our starting point
3:22this morning. Because every belief has
3:24to have a starting point. And our
3:26starting point is the word of God.
3:29>> Isaiah said, "The grass witherth, the
3:31flower fadeth, but the word of our God
3:34stands forever." Wednesday night, we
3:37started a series entitled, "What happens
3:39next?" I hope you'll join us this coming
3:41Wednesday at 7 p.m. What happens next?
3:44And most of the time when we ask that
3:45question, we're thinking about our life,
3:47our family, our [music] finances, our
3:49future. But sooner or later, every one
3:51of us need to ask the deeper question.
3:53What happens next after this life?
3:58>> Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for
4:01you that where I am, there ye may be
4:05also."
4:06>> The destination of a believer is heaven
4:10because that's where Jesus is. And our
4:13desire is simple that whatever it takes,
4:16we've got to make it there. So this
4:18morning I want to preach about heaven.
4:21Sometimes we can get our thoughts so
4:23much on what's happening down here that
4:25we lose sight of the destination of
4:27where we're headed. We get so entangled
4:30with the affairs of this life that our
4:31hearts get heavy. Our minds get
4:33troubled. We lose sleep. We get anxious.
4:36But I want to turn our attention this
4:38morning as the body of Christ to the
4:39promise that Jesus gave to us that he
4:42said, "I go to prepare a place for you
4:44that where I am, there you may be also."
4:47Is anybody looking forward to heaven? Is
4:49anybody ready for heaven? Is anybody
4:52want to be where Jesus is at? Come on,
4:54would you set your Bibles down, lift
4:56your hands with me one more time, and
4:58ask Jesus to speak to us this morning.
5:00Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for
5:02your precious promises. I want to thank
5:04you for your wonderful people that are
5:06gathered to hear. Lord, I pray that your
5:08spirit would draw us closer into your
5:10word and to your precious promise of
5:13heaven. And I pray that the word would
5:14be mixed with faith in them that hear it
5:16today. For we're not here by chance.
5:19We're here, oh God, on purpose. And
5:21you've got a specific call and mission
5:23for our life. So I pray today that you
5:25would help me preach it the way you want
5:27me to preach it. Help us to receive it
5:29the way you want us to receive it. And
5:31we'll give you all the praise and glory
5:33for it. In Jesus' name we pray. And
5:36everybody said, "Amen." Before you're
5:38seated, turn to a few people around you
5:40and just ask them, "Are you ready for
5:42heaven?
5:46It's a thousand.
5:58>> Light travels approximately 186,000
6:02miles every second.
6:04>> Not every hour, not every minute, every
6:07second. 186,000 miles. Our galaxy, the
6:12Milky Way, is so enormous, even when
6:15traveling at the speed of light, it
6:17would take roughly, they guesstimate, a
6:19100,000 years to cross it.
6:24But our galaxy isn't alone.
6:28The nearest large galaxy to us is, of
6:30course, Andromeda. Andromeda is
6:33approximately 2.5
6:35million light years away. So if somehow
6:38this morning you could get into a
6:39vehicle that traveled 186,000 miles
6:42every second, you could point it toward
6:44Andromeda, you wouldn't arrive tomorrow.
6:47You wouldn't arrive next year. You
6:48wouldn't arrive in your lifetime or your
6:50children's lifetime or your great
6:52grandchildren's lifetime traveling
6:54186,000 miles every second. You would
6:57arrive approximately 2.5 million years
7:00from now. That's just our neighbor.
7:05Scientists estimate that there are
7:06hundreds of billions of galaxies in the
7:10observable universe. And eventually
7:12those numbers become meaningless to me
7:15because my mind simply can't comprehend
7:18it. My little peonsized mind just can't
7:21comprehend the vast expanse of the
7:24universe. And yet the Bible introduces
7:27God with one sentence. Genesis 1:1. In
7:30the beginning, God created the heaven
7:33and the earth. No struggle, no
7:35difficulty for him, no shortage of
7:37material, no committee meeting. It was
7:39just God simply creating it.
7:43>> Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare
7:45the glory of God. The firmament showeth
7:48his handiwork." Isaiah 40 says, "Lift up
7:50your eyes on high, and behold, he who
7:53hath created these things." The God that
7:55you and I just sang about, that we
7:57worship this morning, created things so
8:00enormous that our minds can't even
8:03comprehend the distance between them.
8:06>> And yet he knows your name.
8:09>> Yet he knows the very number of hairs
8:12that are on your head or the lack
8:14thereof. He knows.
8:16>> He knows what kept you awake last night.
8:19He knows what you're carrying. He knows
8:21why you're hiding from him. He knows
8:23what's happening in your family. He
8:25knows the diagnosis. He knows the fear
8:27that you haven't told anybody else
8:29about. But I just WANT TO COME ENCOURAGE
8:31SOMEBODY this morning to never allow the
8:33problem in front of you to outdimension
8:36your God.
8:38>> He is omnisient. He's omnipotent. He's
8:40omnipresent. If he created the heavens
8:43and the earth, he is not intimidated by
8:46what you're facing. Uh-huh.
8:48>> There's more than what we can see with
8:51the naked eye.
8:53>> And if God's creation is bigger than my
8:55mind can comprehend, maybe I need to
8:57accept the reality that God is bigger
9:00and things are bigger than my eyes can
9:03presently see.
9:05>> Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:1 18,
9:07"While we look not at things which are
9:10seen, we look at the things which are
9:12not seen. For the things which we can
9:14see are temporal. The things which we do
9:17not see are eternal. That's almost
9:19backwards to the things or the way that
9:21we think. We think that if we see it, if
9:24we feel it, if we touch it, it's real.
9:26But Paul says actually everything you
9:29can see is temporary.
9:32>> This building is temporary. The chairs
9:33you're sitting on is temporary. Your
9:35house is temporary. Your car is
9:37temporary. Your money is temporary. The
9:40clothes that you and I wear, it's just
9:41temporary. Even the body that you're
9:44sitting in this morning is temporary.
9:46But there is an unseen reality that is
9:50eternal. And just because I can't see
9:52something doesn't mean it isn't real.
9:54Just because I can't comprehend
9:56something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
9:59There's a reality beyond what we can
10:01see.
10:03>> I heard about a Sunday school teacher
10:04who was teaching her class about heaven.
10:06And she said, "Well, class, I want to
10:08ask you a few questions." She said, 'If
10:10I sold everything that I owned, I gave
10:12all the money to the church, would that
10:14get me into heaven, and being the bright
10:16young students that they were, all those
10:17kids in the class, they yelled out,
10:18"No."
10:20And she said, "Well, okay. If I cleaned
10:22my house every day, mowed everybody's
10:24yard, planted f flowers, helped
10:26everybody that I knew, would that get me
10:28into heaven?" And again, they all
10:29shouted, "No." And she said, "Okay, if I
10:32was kind to animals, if I loved my
10:34family, if I treated everybody nicely,
10:36would that get me into heaven?" And
10:38everybody said no. And finally she said,
10:41"Well then what do I have to do to get
10:44into heaven?" And one little boy in the
10:45back, he lifted up his voice and HE
10:47SHOUTED, "YOU GOT TO BE DEAD."
10:54He's he's not entirely wrong. [snorts]
10:58Unless Jesus comes first, every one of
11:00us is eventually going to face death.
11:02Hebrews says, "It is appointed unto men
11:05once to die and after this the
11:07judgment." So I think I can safely say
11:10this morning according to the word that
11:11heaven isn't just a subject for old
11:13people.
11:15>> Heaven isn't just something that we talk
11:16about only at funerals.
11:19>> Eternity is coming and happening for
11:22every one of us.
11:24And that's WHY BEFORE WE SPEND TIME
11:26ASKING where heaven is and what it is
11:28and whether we'll know each other and
11:29what our mansions are going to look like
11:31and whether our pets are going to be
11:33there or not, and I believe they will
11:34be, THERE IS ONE question that's more
11:37important than all of those things
11:39together. If heaven is real, am I ready
11:42to go there?
11:43>> That's the question I have for you this
11:45morning. If heaven is real, are you
11:48ready to go? cuz I could answer a
11:50thousand questions about heaven this
11:52morning, but none of those answers
11:54matter if you're not ready. I want to go
11:56back to what Jesus actually said. I've
11:58got some things here that he spoke to us
12:00this morning that are to bring comfort
12:02to our heart. And the very first thing
12:04that Jesus let us know is heaven is a
12:06real place.
12:09>> The disciples in John 14, they're
12:11troubled because Jesus has been telling
12:13them that he's leaving. The cross is
12:16coming. Judas is going to betray him.
12:18Peter's going TO DENY HIM. EVERYBODY'S
12:20GOING TO LEAVE HIM. AND everything
12:22familiar is about to be shaken. And they
12:24don't understand what Jesus is talking
12:26about. And into that anxiety that he
12:29feels, Jesus says, "Let not your heart
12:32be troubled."
12:35>> That word troubled, terraso, to disturb,
12:38agitate, unsettle, stir up, throw into
12:41turmoil. In other words, Jesus was
12:43saying, don't let your heart continue to
12:45be agitated. Don't let it continue to be
12:48disturbed. Don't let it continue to be
12:50in turmoil. Now, I want to give some
12:52hope to those of you like me who have
12:54been troubled before. Or maybe you're in
12:56trouble right now and things have
12:58troubled your spirit. Being troubled is
13:01not a failure of faith.
13:04>> Being troubled is not a failure of
13:06faith. Even Jesus experienced trouble.
13:10John 11:33, Jesus was troubled at
13:13Lazarus tomb. John chapter 12, Jesus
13:16said, "Now is my soul troubled." John
13:18chapter 13, Jesus was troubled [snorts]
13:21in spirit. You can't always control what
13:24troubles you, but you can choose what
13:26gets control of your heart.
13:31>> You can either trust or be troubled.
13:34>> Jesus isn't saying, "Don't feel
13:36anything." But he's telling them, when
13:38your heart is troubled, put your trust
13:41in me. put your trust in something that
13:44is established, something that is the
13:46same. And he gives troubled people like
13:48you and I something beyond what we can
13:51presently see. He said, "In my father's
13:53house are many mansions. I'm going to
13:56prepare a place." Somebody say, "A
13:58place."
13:59>> He said, "I'm preparing a place for
14:01you." Say, "A place." Say it again. Say,
14:04"It's a place."
14:05>> It's a place. It's a physical location.
14:08There is an area. There is a place that
14:11he has pre prepared. Jesus doesn't
14:13describe heaven just like a state of
14:15mind. He doesn't call it a metaphor. He
14:17doesn't say I'm going to tell you a
14:19story or a parable in this. HE SAID I'M
14:21GOING TO PREPARE a place for you that
14:24where I am you may be. Also, Stephen is
14:28being stoned in Acts chapter 7 and the
14:30Bible says he looked steadfastly into
14:33heaven and he saw the glory of God and
14:36Jesus standing in authority. Paul said
14:38in 2 Corinthians 12, he was caught up
14:41into the third heaven and then he calls
14:43it paradise. Hebrews 9 speaks of Jesus
14:46entering into heaven itself. Heaven is
14:49not imaginary. Heaven is real.
14:52>> Paul had this amazing experience and he
14:54said, "Whether in the body I can't tell.
14:56Whether I was out of the body, I cannot
14:58tell." He didn't even fully understand
15:01what had happened to him. Somebody knew
15:03he had encountered a heavenly existence,
15:06a reality that exceeded his ability to
15:09explain it.
15:10>> We don't know everything about heaven.
15:12There are things that God hasn't
15:15explained to us. There are things we
15:17probably couldn't comprehend if he did.
15:21>> Faith does not require God to explain
15:24everything before I believe in him.
15:27Hebrews said, "Faith is the substance of
15:30things hoped for. It is the evidence of
15:32things not seen.
15:35>> The Bible uses a couple of words for
15:38heaven or heavens. There's the heavens
15:41that we can see with the natural eye. We
15:42see the sky in the daytime. We can see
15:45the stars and planets at night. But the
15:48heaven that we're talking about this
15:49morning is one that is seen by faith.
15:52Faith does not mean imaginary. Faith
15:55means I trust what God has revealed even
15:58when I can't see it yet.
16:01Now, somebody has asked me this before
16:03and they said, "Pastor, where is heaven?
16:06Where is it at?" I think that's a great
16:08question. The Bible consistently uses
16:11the language of up. Jesus was taken up
16:15into a cloud. Elijah went up. Paul was
16:18caught up. John hears the words, "Come
16:20up hither." So, where exactly is heaven?
16:23And here's MY DEEPLY THEOLOGICAL ANSWER
16:26to that. I don't know.
16:32I don't know. Up.
16:36>> So, I'm thinking this way, but if you're
16:37on the other side of the world, they say
16:39up. I guess it's that way. I don't know.
16:41It's up.
16:43BUT I'M OKAY WITH NOT KNOWING THE GPS
16:46COORDINATES.
16:48>> First Kings 8:27, Solomon, the wisest
16:51man in all the world, said, "Behold, the
16:52heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot
16:54contain thee." God is not just sitting
16:57somewhere past Andromeda waiting on us
16:59to build a telescope strong enough to
17:02discover him. There is a heavenly
17:04reality beyond the physical universe
17:07that we presently experience and can
17:09see. So I can't tell you exactly where
17:12heaven is. But Jesus gives us something
17:14much more important than GPS
17:16coordinates. He says that's where I am
17:20that you may be also there. In my
17:22father's house are many mansions.
17:26>> Heaven is real. And heaven is the
17:29father's house. Somebody say it's the
17:31father's house.
17:32>> He said in my father's house. And I love
17:34that cuz he doesn't just begin talking
17:36about streets of gold or gates of pearl
17:38or the angels or the crowns or the
17:40jewels. He just calls it it's my
17:42father's house. If you grew up in a
17:45loving home like I did, you can move
17:47hundreds of miles away, thousands of
17:50miles away. You build your own house,
17:52raise your own family, and make your own
17:53life. But there's something about going
17:55back home,
17:58>> go back to mama's house and dad's house.
18:00You get back there and you you know the
18:03cabinet where the glasses are kept. You
18:04know where the food is. You know where
18:06dad's chair is. You know when you walk
18:08back into it, it's just a place of
18:10comfort. It's a place of belonging. And
18:12Jesus tells his troubled disciples, "I'm
18:15going to my father's house." In other
18:18words, there's a home beyond this. They
18:20needed to know that because the
18:22disciples were about ready to walk into
18:24a scene and a place that they had never
18:27been into before. Jesus was about to be
18:29brutally killed. He was about to be
18:32crucified on a cross, the one they had
18:34followed for three and a half years. And
18:36here the disciples were about to look
18:38around and see everything seemingly uh
18:41messed up and turned upside down. on and
18:43Jesus wanted them to make sure that they
18:46knew that there was a place he had
18:48prepared for them. So don't let your
18:51heart be troubled. I think that's
18:52important for us to know this morning
18:54because you and I walk into seasons and
18:57places that are difficult. They're
18:59painful. They're hard. It looks like
19:01SOMEBODY UPSET THE FRUIT BASKET. And I
19:03want you to hear the words of Jesus in
19:05your heart this morning AS HE SAYS, "I'M
19:08GOING TO MY FATHER'S HOUSE AND THAT
19:10WHERE I am, you may be also. I'm going
19:12to prepare all of this FOR YOU. SO,
19:14DON'T BE TROUBLED. Hebrews 11 says that
19:18faithful Abraham looked for a city whose
19:20foundations whose builder and maker is
19:24God. I want to ask you something THIS
19:25MORNING. ARE YOU LOOKING?
19:29>> Are you looking
19:31>> or are you just waiting? Are you just
19:33waiting around? Or but are you looking?
19:35Because the Bible says this faithful
19:36Abraham was looking for something. It
19:38says God's people desired a better
19:41country that is heavenly. In Hebrews 11,
19:44he says, "God hath prepared for them a
19:47city." WHAT I WANT US TO REMEMBER this
19:49morning is we're going somewhere.
19:52>> I wish you'd tell somebody right now and
19:54tell them, "We're going somewhere. We're
19:57going somewhere. We're headed toward
19:58resurrection. We're headed toward a new
20:01heaven and a new earth. We're headed
20:03towards a city whose builder and MAKER
20:06IS GOD. WE'RE GOING SOMEWHERE. YOU'VE
20:08GOT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS NOT THE
20:11END. THIS IS NOT WHERE YOU STAY. THIS IS
20:13NOT WHERE YOU STOP. THAT THIS IS JUST A
20:16BLIP on the LINE OF ETERNITY. WE'RE
20:18GOING SOMEWHERE. Come on. I know people
20:21still get sick. I know we still bury
20:24people. I KNOW THAT CHRISTIANS STILL GET
20:26HURT. I KNOW WE STILL FIGHT TEMPTATIONS
20:28AND WE'VE GOT TO OVERCOME STRUGGLES. BUT
20:30ROMANS 8 SAYS THAT THE WHOLE CREATION is
20:33groaning and waiting for redemption.
20:36THIS ISN'T HEAVEN YET. WE'RE going
20:39somewhere.
20:41Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on
20:43earth as it is in heaven. And I pray
20:46that prayer that Jesus taught us to
20:48pray. But I pray it knowing that this is
20:50not heaven yet. This is not the end.
20:54THIS IS NOT WHERE WE'RE TO SETTLE. WE
20:56ARE STRANGERS. We are pilgrims. AND
20:58FAITH SHOULD ARISE IN OUR HEART TO KNOW
21:00THAT EVEN THOUGH I'M GOING THROUGH
21:02SOMETHING HARD AND DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW,
21:04IF I HANG ON TO HIS WORD, THEN I WON'T
21:06GET SWEPT AWAY BY THE FLOOD OR BURNED UP
21:08BY THE FIRE AND EVEN IF THEY BURY ME SIX
21:11FEET UNDER, THAT SAME SPIRIT THAT RAISED
21:14UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD IS GOING TO
21:16QUICKEN MY MORTAL BODY AND I'M GOING TO
21:18GET UP BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M DESTINED
21:20TO DO. I'M DESTINED TO GET UP. I'M
21:22DESTINED TO STAND UP. I'M DESTINED TO
21:24RISE UP.
21:26>> [cheering]
21:26>> OH, I WISH YOU'D TELL SOMEBODY NEXT TO
21:28YOU. TELL THEM, SAY, "I'M DESTINED to go
21:29up.
21:30>> I'm destined to go up." Come on. Cuz I'm
21:32headed somewhere. I'm going somewhere.
21:37>> Heaven.
21:39>> Heaven. If we're not careful, we can
21:41become so comfortable here that heaven
21:44stops sounding attractive.
21:47>> Peter actually warned us there would
21:49come a time when people would begin to
21:51question whether Jesus was really coming
21:53back again. He said in 2 Peter 3 and:4
21:56that scoffers would ask, "Where is the
21:59promise of his coming?"
22:01>> In other words, here's what they'd say.
22:03They say, "We've been hearing this
22:04forever. Jesus is coming. Get ready. The
22:08trumpet's going to sound." But life just
22:10seems to keep going. People are born.
22:13People die. People go to work. People
22:15get married. And tomorrow keeps looking
22:17a whole lot LIKE YESTERDAY. SO WHERE IS
22:20THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING?
22:23>> Come on. You've probably been like I
22:24have where you heard it preached about
22:26heaven and heard about the rapture and
22:28the trumpet and every time the tornado
22:30siren sound, I always just double check.
22:36>> Come on. I grew up in a home. I grew up
22:37in a place where they talked about
22:38heaven and they talked about the rapture
22:40and they talked about Jesus coming
22:42again. And I wasn't going to be left
22:43behind and I I wasn't going to allow sin
22:45in my heart and I wasn't just going to
22:46allow myself to stay dead and lost. No,
22:48I needed to be ready FOR SOMETHING. I
22:50NEED TO BE READY. I REMEMBER THERE WERE
22:52TIMES when the family would leave THE
22:53HOUSE AND I'D be at the home doing
22:55something or whatever, maybe staying
22:56there and then all of a sudden
22:58wondering, they're not answering their
22:59phone and they're not there. I'm
23:00wondering, well, the rapture's taking
23:02place and here I am left. I want to be
23:04ready.
23:07>> But I think there's a time like Peter
23:09said, there's a time whenever people can
23:11start asking the question, where's the
23:13promise of his coming? We've been
23:14waiting such a long time. And the danger
23:16is is that we can hear it so many times
23:18eventually we get used to hearing it
23:21without actually living like we believe
23:23it.
23:25>> Here's what I want to tell somebody this
23:27morning is don't mistake God's patience
23:29for God's absence.
23:35[applause]
23:37>> Let me let me just hang right there for
23:39a quick second before I dive into the
23:41rest of this message. Don't mistake
23:42God's patience for God's absence. We
23:45were singing that song just a little bit
23:46a while ago. It's one of my favorite
23:47songs right now in my mind. I love it.
23:50Jesus, I WAS TOSSED IN THE WATER, BUT I
23:53never went under. You were always on
23:57time. One of my favorite. Oh, I love
23:59that. He was always there. But I can
24:02tell you there's many times I don't feel
24:04like he's always there.
24:09It feels like God is absent because God
24:12is patient and he's taking his time and
24:14he's working on things that are outside
24:16of my comprehension. I don't understand
24:18everything. I am concerned about me,
24:20myself, and I. I am concerned about my
24:22little foreign us. And I'm just
24:24concerned about my little home and our
24:26little church. And I'm concerned about
24:27our little city. And I I get myself
24:29BOXED IN. AND I TRY TO GET GOD BOXED IN
24:31WITH ME, BUT HE IS JUST OUTSIDE OF MY
24:34BOX. HE IS OUTSIDE OF MY COMPREHENSION.
24:37And so there's times whenever he's not
24:38working in THE MANNER THAT I EXPECT HIM
24:41TO WORK. And I THINK THAT BECAUSE GOD'S
24:43PATIENT, HE'S ABSENT. But I want to GIVE
24:45HOPE TO SOMEBODY. HE MAY BE 4 DAYS LATE,
24:47BUT he's still on time.
24:51>> God is still working in ways that we
24:53can't even see. He's still and we can't
24:55AFFORD TO GET COMFORTABLE DOWN HERE.
24:58LIKE GOD HAS FORGOTTEN US. LIKE GOD HAS
25:00MOVED ON TO ANOTHER GALAXY. LIKE GOD'S
25:02MOVED ON TO ANOTHER PLANET. I'M TELLING
25:04YOU, YOU ARE still the apple of his eye.
25:07And he is still working in ways we
25:09cannot see. AND HE IS STILL DOING A WORK
25:11THAT NOBODY CAN COMPREHEND. WE'VE GOT TO
25:14TRUST HIM THAT HE'S COMING BACK AGAIN
25:17SOON.
25:21>> Peter in that same scripture, he's
25:23talking about knowing the flood. There
25:25was a time when the world probably
25:27looked completely normal to everybody.
25:28People woke up. They were getting
25:30married and they were eating and having
25:33just regular lives, going about their
25:35regular lives. They made plans. And then
25:37and then the judgment came. And Peter
25:40says, "Don't mistake God's patience for
25:43a broken promise."
25:45He said, "The Lord is not slack
25:48concerning his promise as some men count
25:51slackness, but he is long-suffering to
25:53us word, not willing that any should
25:55perish, but that all should come to
25:59repentance.
26:01>> The delay is mercy."
26:10>> The delay is the mercy of God.
26:15I remember hearing about an evangelist a
26:17long time ago that walked into an
26:18apostolic church and was preaching a
26:20weekl long revival. This was many, many,
26:21many years ago. And the way that I heard
26:23it was is that evangelist had come in
26:25and he got to meet the assistant pastor,
26:27young man, really nice man, a man of
26:29God, walked with the Lord, beautiful
26:31family, wonderful wife. They were
26:32involved in heavily in the church,
26:34brother Anderson being muse, wonderful
26:35family. And during those weeks longs of
26:39revival, the young man became very sick
26:42with cancer in his body.
26:46And so the church went to pray for him.
26:48At the same time, while that revival was
26:49going on, there was this man that would
26:53come to church, but he was never
26:54involved. He was never really a part. He
26:56just showed up and he sat down and
26:58warmed the pinch uh the bench. Really,
27:00he he really didn't do anything. He
27:02didn't serve. He wasn't active. Didn't
27:03Wasn't involved. I don't even know why
27:04he came, but he was there. He'd just
27:06show up and he was one of the meanest
27:10men as it was described to me that this
27:12church ever knew. He griped about
27:14everything, complained about everybody
27:16and he was just mean and ugly, ugly
27:18spirit.
27:20And uh church tried to pray with him and
27:24tried to pray him through and it just
27:25wouldn't happen. didn't know this young
27:28man, this assistant pastor who had
27:31contracted this cancer and this
27:33sickness. The church prayed and they
27:35fasted and begged God to keep this young
27:37man. And the Lord's reasoning
27:40not fully understood,
27:43but that young man didn't get better. He
27:45got worse and he died.
27:48And that evangelist struggled with that
27:49so much. They were seeing miracles. They
27:51were seeing people filled with the Holy
27:52Ghost and people healed. And this
27:54evangelist struggled and he took it to
27:55God. He said, ' God, I do not understand
27:58your purpose here. I don't understand
27:59what you're doing. And he said, "I've
28:01tried to trust you. I've tried to follow
28:02you, tried to be faithful to you, and I
28:03just don't understand why you would take
28:05such a nice, wonderful young man when
28:07he's got his family. He's a young man
28:09who who lives for you, who does what's
28:12right." And we can't always understand
28:14these things of why God does one thing
28:16or the other. I was reading about Elijah
28:18and Elisha. I told you this a little bit
28:19later, but for those of you that hadn't
28:21heard, I've been reading through the
28:22prophet Elijah, that man of fire, taken
28:24up in a fiery chariot out of heaven. He
28:26didn't experience the normal death on
28:28earth like you and I would taken up in a
28:30fiery chariot. I think that's amazing.
28:32And then his predecessor, Elisha, did
28:34twice as many miracles. Twice as many
28:36miracles. What an incredible man of God.
28:39And yet, the Bible says in 2 Kings
28:40chapter 13 THAT ELISHA WAS SICK ON HIS
28:43BED. THE bed and the sickness of which
28:47HE WAS TO DIE IS WHAT THE Bible says. So
28:50Elijah gets taken up in a fiery chariot
28:52and only does half the miracles that
28:54Elisha did. If you to look at it that
28:56way, Elisha gets taken up in a fiery
28:58chariot, but this other man, he dies of
29:00a sickness. I don't understand all of
29:01God's ways. And that was the problem.
29:03This evangelist struggled with this. HE
29:05DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY GOD WOULD TAKE ONE
29:07AND NOT THE OTHER. HE SAID, "GOD, THIS
29:09YOUNG MAN'S live for you. He's making
29:10impact." HE SAID, 'LORD, IF THERE WAS
29:12ANYBODY THAT YOU COULD TAKE, now listen,
29:14he's praying privately. He's not praying
29:16in front of a group of people. These are
29:17just the confessions of a man's heart
29:19who's GRAPPLING WITH WHY GOD DOES WHAT
29:21HE DOES. AND HE SAID, "GOD, I DON'T
29:23UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULDN'T TAKE THAT
29:25MEAN, grumpy man who's lived all of his
29:27life and yet rejected you and been
29:29rebellious to you. And I don't
29:30understand why you wouldn't take him,
29:32give him the cancer, let him die. I
29:34don't understand." The Lord spoke
29:36something to him that resonates with me
29:38to this day. That doesn't mean I
29:40understand all of God's ways. It doesn't
29:41mean I have perfect understanding. I'm
29:43looking through a glass darkly just LIKE
29:45YOU ARE. AS THE BIBLE says in 1
29:47Corinthians 13, we don't get it all. But
29:49here's WHAT THE LORD SPOKE TO that
29:51evangelist. HE SAID, "I TOOK THAT YOUNG
29:53MAN CUZ I COULDN'T BEAR TO BE AWAY FROM
29:55him any longer."
29:59>> He said, "I'M LEAVING THIS OTHER man
30:02because it's all the goodness he will
30:05ever experience in all of eternity.
30:11the only goodness that that man would
30:14have experienced. Now, you can take it
30:16to yourself whether or not that that
30:17helps you in any other way, but it sure
30:19helped me. It just helped me to
30:20understand perhaps I don't understand
30:22that situation still to this day. But I
30:24understand that God has ways that are
30:25past me figuring out. I've got to stop
30:28trying to put God in my own
30:29understanding and in my in my own ways,
30:31in my own box, because the Bible says,
30:33"Lean not to your own understanding, but
30:36in all of your ways, acknowledge him and
30:38he shall bring it to pass." And this
30:40what we're living called life on earth.
30:42It's just a blip on the radar of
30:44eternity. There is so much more THAT IS
30:46TO COME. WE'VE GOT TO LEARN TO WALK BY
30:48FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT, NOT BY WHAT WE
30:51SEE. And understand that if God is
30:53delaying, that delay is mercy. Every
30:56morning that you wake up and Jesus
30:58hasn't returned, it's another day of
31:01mercy. IT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR
31:03SOMEBODY TO REPENT, somebody to BE
31:06BAPTIZED IN JESUS' NAME, SOMEBODY to get
31:08the Holy Ghost, SOME BACKSLIDER TO COME
31:10BACK TO GOD. IT'S ANOTHER opportunity to
31:12reach your children. IT'S ANOTHER
31:14OPPORTUNITY TO TELL SOMEBODY ABOUT
31:16JESUS. His delay is mercy. So instead OF
31:20COVERING UP MY HEAD and complaining
31:21ABOUT MY SITUATION, WHY DON'T I JUST
31:24LIFT MY HANDS AND SAY, "Thank you, God.
31:25I don't UNDERSTAND YOUR WAYS, BUT thank
31:27you for mercy. THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER
31:29DAY. THANK YOU FOR GIVING SOMEBODY
31:31ANOTHER CHANCE. AND WHATEVER YOU'RE
31:33DOING IN MY LIFE, YOU'RE GOING TO WORK
31:35IT OUT FOR THE GOOD BECAUSE I LOVE YOU
31:37and I'm called according TO YOUR
31:39PURPOSE. WHAT IF WE WOKE UP EVERY DAY
31:41SAYING, "Thank you, Lord, FOR MERCY AND
31:43GOODNESS THAT'S FOLLOWING ME." WHAT IF
31:45WE WOKE UP EVERY DAY SAYING, "THIS IS
31:47THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE. I WILL
31:50REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT." HOW? HOW CAN
31:52YOU? BECAUSE HE TOLD ME, "I GO TO
31:55PREPARE A PLACE for you.
31:58[cheering]
32:00[applause]
32:02>> I go [cheering] to prepare a place for
32:05you." I'm almost finished, but God is
32:08patient.
32:10God has mercy. Musicians, you can come.
32:14But don't ever mistake God's mercy for
32:17permission to procrastinate.
32:20Should
32:22we sin because grace does abound?
32:26>> God forbid.
32:29>> How shall we that are dead to sin live
32:31any longer therein?
32:33The very next verse the Apostle Peter
32:35wrote in that same chapter, he said,
32:37"But the day of the Lord will come
32:40>> like a thief in the night. Not might
32:42come, not probably come, it will come."
32:45Yes.
32:46>> And he says, "SEEING THAT ALL THESE
32:48THINGS SHALL be dissolved, everything
32:50around you that's temporary is going to
32:52be BURNED UP. WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS
32:54OUGHT you to be in all holy
32:56conversation, that means lifestyle, holy
32:58conversation and godliness?"
33:02>> That's the question you've got to ask
33:04yourself this morning. Peter's not
33:07teaching about the end just so that we
33:08can build prophecy charts and argue
33:10about timelines.
33:12He's saying, "If you really believe that
33:14Jesus is coming, shouldn't that change
33:17the way that you're living?"
33:20>> If heaven is real, if Jesus IS REALLY
33:22COMING, IF EVERYTHING THAT I CAN SEE
33:25around me really is temporary, then what
33:27kind of person should I be right now?
33:31>> Knowing where we're going, church, ought
33:33to change the way that we're living.
33:37>> Heaven is not just an escape plan.
33:42Amen.
33:44>> IT'S NOT JUST AN ESCAPE PLAN. REVELATION
33:4721:1 SAYS, "I SAW A new heaven and a new
33:51earth." John says, "I saw the holy city,
33:53New Jerusalem, coming down from God out
33:56of heaven."
33:57>> And then he hears, "Behold, the
33:58tabernacle of God is with men. He will
34:01dwell with them."
34:04>> That's where this whole story is going.
34:06That God will dwell with us. Not just in
34:09us, but he will literally be him. We'll
34:11see him face to face. He will dwell with
34:13us again.
34:14>> That's the whole story of this book. Sin
34:18broke God's creation. It separated us
34:21from him and death entered because of
34:23that sin and creation began to grow.
34:26Thorns and thistles began to grow and
34:28the work became harder and child became
34:30bearing became more painful and
34:32laborsome and all of the things that
34:34that WE GROWN ABOUT HAPPENED BECAUSE SIN
34:37BROKE in to God's creation. But then
34:41Jesus came and Calvary dealt with the
34:44sin issue and now it's up to each and
34:47every one of us to make the choice
34:48whether we put our faith in him or not.
34:51That resurrection of Jesus defeated
34:53death. Jesus ascended and he promised
34:55that he's coming again. Our hope today
34:58is that he's coming again and we'll be
34:59able to forever live with him. Our hope
35:02today is not that we're going to be some
35:04disembodied spirits floating around
35:06playing harps. I don't even know how to
35:08play the harp.
35:10That's not what our hope is.
35:13>> Our hope is restoration. Our hope is
35:16resurrection. Our hope is a new heaven
35:18and a new earth AND A NEW BODY. JESUS
35:21SAID, "BEHOLD, I make all things new."
35:24WE'RE GOING SOMEWHERE. That's our hope.
35:27And ultimately, wherever we go is where
35:30Jesus is.
35:32>> That brings me to the last and greatest
35:34thing about heaven this morning. Heaven
35:36is heaven because that's where Jesus is.
35:41Jesus said, "I'll come again. I'm going
35:42to receive you unto myself that where I
35:44am, that where I am, that where I am,
35:50>> you may be also."
35:53>> We have a lot of questions about heaven.
35:57What will my mansion look like? Am I
35:59going to recognize my family? They're
36:01going to be animals. What we going to
36:02eat? What are we going to do?
36:05But in this passage, Je doesn't answer
36:06any of that there. He says, "You're
36:08going to be with me."
36:12>> You're going to be with me.
36:14>> And that hope alone should cause us to
36:17not be troubled in our heart.
36:21>> Here's what Paul said in Philippians
36:221:23. This amazes me right here. I'm
36:25still living trying to follow this. This
36:29is what Paul said in Philippians 1 and
36:32verse 23. He said, "Having a desire to
36:34depart and to be with Christ, which is
36:39which is what
36:42>> far
36:43>> better."
36:46>> I know somebody here today may say,
36:48"Pastor, I don't want to leave this
36:49world. I love my family. I love my life.
36:52>> I've still got things that I want to do
36:54with my life."
36:55>> Paul wasn't just writing this sitting
36:57around wishing that he could die because
36:58he said, "For me to live is Christ."
37:01So, as long as God gives me life, I want
37:03to live it. I want to dream. I want to
37:05preach. I want to see the church grow. I
37:06want to enjoy my family. I want to
37:08fulfill everything that God has called
37:10me to do. But Paul had enough revelation
37:12of eternity, what was to come to say,
37:14"When this life is over, I don't want
37:16you to feel sorry for me." Because being
37:18with Jesus isn't just a little better.
37:21It's not slightly better. IT IS FAR
37:24BETTER.
37:26>> You think you've SEEN BEAUTY DOWN HERE.
37:28HEAVEN IS FAR BETTER. You think you've
37:30EXPERIENCED JOY WITH WHAT YOU'VE
37:32RECEIVED DOWN HERE, HEAVEN IS FAR
37:35BETTER. If you think you've experienced
37:36LOVE DOWN HERE, HEAVEN IS FAR BETTER.
37:39JESUS MAKES IT FAR BETTER CUZ HE SAID,
37:43"YOU'LL FINALLY be with me.
37:47>> Everything that sin has diminished will
37:49be far better. Everything that death has
37:52broken is going to be restored. And
37:54everything that the curse has touched is
37:56finally going to be removed. But above
37:58all of those wonderful things, Jesus
38:02will be there.
38:03>> And Revelation 22:4 says, "And they
38:07shall see his face."
38:11>> Think about that. Come on. We've sung
38:13about him. We've baptized people in his
38:15name. We've prayed to him. We've
38:17worshiped him. But we have never seen
38:19his face. But in heaven, the Bible says
38:21we shall see him face to face.
38:26Then we're going to know him and we're
38:27going to be like him. We're going to see
38:29him face to face. One day we're going to
38:31see those wonderful eyes, those eyes of
38:33compassion. Those eyes lit up like fire.
38:36One day we're going to see his face full
38:38of love, full of compassion. Those eyes
38:41are going to banish all fear from our
38:42life. And he's going to wipe tears away
38:44from our eyes when we see him face to
38:47face. There'll be no more death and no
38:48more sickness and no more sorrow and no
38:50more trouble when we see him face to far
38:54better. I said it's far better. It's
38:56going to be far better.
39:01I've got two questions as you stand with
39:02me this morning. And before I invite you
39:04to this altar, I got two questions for
39:06you. Number one is, what troubles you?
39:12What troubles you this morning? What's
39:14got your heart all turned upside down
39:17and keeping you up at night?
39:20What's caused you to come here this
39:22morning looking for answers?
39:26What troubles you?
39:28Oh, I was glad when they said unto me,
39:30"Let us go into the house of the Lord."
39:32Because there's some things in my heart
39:34that troubles me that I need peace.
39:37>> I need comfort.
39:38>> I need wisdom. I don't know how to do it
39:40without him.
39:42So, whenever you all came this morning
39:44and we opened up the church doors and
39:46everybody, pastor was glad to get to
39:48church this morning.
39:50Oh, I was glad when they said unto me
39:52because I know that I can cast all my
39:54cares upon him. I know that I'm not the
39:56only one that perhaps has things that
39:58trouble you.
40:00So, I'm asking you this morning, what
40:02troubles you?
40:04What's got your heart anxious?
40:07What's got your life feeling like it's
40:09turned upside down? I want to invite you
40:11this morning in just a moment. I'm going
40:14to invite you this morning to lay your
40:16fears and your anxiety and to pick up
40:20trust and faith again and say, "Still, I
40:24will trust you. Still, I'll keep on
40:26believing you. I'm not going to go under
40:28these waves that are roaring right now
40:30and that are threatening my life. I'm
40:32not going to be killed. I'm not going to
40:34be undone by it because I see a hand
40:36that's coming down to lift me up out of
40:38the water. I put my trust in you and
40:40you're still working in ways that I
40:42can't even see. And you will make a way
40:44for me. If there's any troubled here
40:46this morning, my first invitation is for
40:48you to lay down and cast all your cares
40:51upon the Lord because [music] he cares
40:53for you. And the second question I have
40:54for you, are you ready?
40:59What good does it do if you're trying to
41:01get rid of all of your cares and your
41:03troubles, but you're not ready to meet
41:04Jesus?
41:07>> What good does it do you if you get the
41:09job that you want? If you get the spouse
41:10that you want, if you get all these
41:12things that you've been searching
41:13[music] for in this life, but you miss
41:15Jesus. Jesus said it like this. What
41:17would it profit a man if he would gain
41:18the whole world and lose his own soul?
41:22>> I'd rather keep my soul with Jesus and
41:25bear all the trouble and suffering that
41:26I need to bear until I see him face to
41:29face rather than being troubleless and
41:31not having any issues, not having any
41:33suffering, not having any problems, and
41:35not having Jesus. Amen.
41:37>> I'll gladly bear whatever I need to bear
41:39as long as I've got him. I'll gladly
41:41carry whatever I need to carry as long
41:42as I've got him. Cuz my Bible says if I
41:45suffer with him, I'm also going to reign
41:47with him. If I have to go through some
41:49trouble, Jesus went through some trouble
41:51and he got up. And if he got up, I'm
41:54going to get up cuz he's with me. And
41:55his spirit abides within me. I can do
41:57this. I'VE GOT THIS. I CAN MAKE IT. SO,
42:00I'm inviting you to this altar right now
42:02if you're troubled in any way to cast
42:03your cares upon him. And if you're not
42:05ready, you need to make yourself ready
42:07by repenting of your sins, being
42:09baptized in the name of Jesus this
42:10morning, by being filled with the
42:12precious gift of the Holy Ghost. But if
42:14the spirit of God is speaking to anybody
42:16in any man, any woman, any child, any
42:18elder in this house, I dare you to come
42:20forward to [music] the front of this
42:21place right now and make yourself ready
42:24for heaven. I dare you to come down to
42:26the front of this place and remind
42:27yourself that Jesus said, "And you don't
42:30have to let your heart be troubled. IF
42:32YOU BELIEVE IN GOD, YOU CAN BELIEVE in
42:34him. He's prepared a place for you. If
42:37you've got trouble, [music]
42:38cast your anxiety. Cast your fear on the
42:41Lord. Come on, come down to this altar
42:42right now. Make it a place of prayer.
42:44[music] Make yourself ready. Cast off
42:46the works of darkness. Lay aside every
42:49sin that does so easily beset you this
42:52morning and say, "Jesus, I want to be
42:54ready for whenever you return. I want to
42:56be ready when you come again, Lord. I
42:58want to go with you and I want to see
43:01you face to face. [music] Come on, pray
43:03right now. Come on. This altar is open
43:05for you. This is what we do. Uh this is
43:08why we've come. This is why we're here.
43:10Uh Jesus has got a place prepared for
43:13you. He's getting it ready for you to
43:15meet him in the air. Oh Jesus, I'm
43:18coming. Jesus, I'm coming to you, Lord.
43:21Jesus, I'm yielding myself [music] to
43:23you right now. I'm laying down all my
43:25anxiety. I'm casting down all my cares
43:28upon you, Lord. I need your peace. I
43:31need your spirit. I need your grace in
43:34my life, Jesus.
43:36>> Come on. [music] He won't cast you away.
43:37He won't turn you away. It's mercy.
43:40That's why he's been delaying. It's
43:42mercy.
43:44I [music]
43:46pres
43:49[singing]
43:50>> Jesus. I want to be ready. Jesus, I want
43:53to be ready when you come again. I don't
43:55want to get so entangled with this life.
43:57[music]
43:58I don't want to get lost in my feelings
44:00and emotions that I miss your word.
44:02[laughter] I want to be ready, Jesus.
44:06>> I want to be ready, Jesus.
44:08>> Oh, yes, God. I thank you for the time,
44:11Lord. I thank you for the time to get it
44:14right. I thank you that you're still
44:16reaching for my son and my daughters. I
44:18thank you that you're still reaching for
44:20the lost in this city. I thank you,
44:22Lord, that [music] you've got a promise.
44:24You've got an eternal hope of glory that
44:26you've given to us, Jesus.
44:29[music and singing]
44:29>> Will I fall? Will I see? Hallelujah.
44:34Will I [music] be able to speak it all?
44:37I can only imagine. [singing]
44:42>> Hallelujah, Jesus. [music] Yes, God.
44:44>> I can only imagine,
44:46>> Lord. I still believe. I trust you, oh
44:49Lord. Through every trial, through every
44:51struggle, I'm still believing, Lord, and
44:53holding to your unchanging hand. Uh I
44:56thank you, Lord, that you're going to
44:57work [music] in my life. I thank you
44:58that you're going to forgive me, and
45:00your grace is sufficient for me, Jesus.
45:03Will you be still? [music]
45:05Will I stand in your presence to my
45:09knees? Will I [music and singing] fall?
45:11Will I see? Hallelujah.
45:15Will I [music and singing] be able to
45:17speak it all? I can only imagine.
45:21[music and singing]
45:24I can only [music] imagine
45:27[singing]
45:29surrounded.
45:32Surrounded [music]
45:33by your glory.
45:36What will my heart [music and singing]
45:37feel? Will I dance for you, Jesus?
45:43All you be still.
45:46>> Oh, I want to be ready, Jesus.
45:51[music and singing]
45:54Hallelujah.
45:55>> Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know there's
45:58many of you here today that you know
46:00that you're ready for heaven. You know
46:01that Jesus when he comes back and splits
46:03the sky and comes back in the clouds,
46:05you're ready to meet him. But I wonder
46:06if you lift up your voice right now. If
46:08you know that you're ready, you know
46:09that your heart is free and clear. You
46:11know that you've been living in grace. I
46:13wonder if you lift your voice up right
46:14now for those in the city of St. Louis.
46:17They may be your family. They may be
46:18some relatives. They may be some
46:20co-workers. But I wonder if you lift up
46:22your voice right now and begin to pray
46:23for them and [music] say, "Jesus, today
46:25on this Sunday afternoon, would you
46:27reach to where they're at? Would you
46:29stir their heart and their attention and
46:31turn it toward you? Come on. Would you
46:33call their [music] name out in prayer
46:34right now? Come on. WOULD YOU SAY, "GOD,
46:36THANK you for this moment of grace. I
46:38don't want to waste it right now on
46:40myself. But I want to ask you, Lord,
46:42that you'd bring salvation to them.
46:44Awaken their spirit. Awaken their
46:46conscience. Awaken their mind. Bring
46:48them back to their father's house. Come
46:51on. That's it. Call them out right now
46:53in the name of Jesus. Uh call their
46:55names out. Begin to pray over them.
46:57Lord, I want to thank you for mercy. I
46:59want to thank you for grace. I want to
47:01thank you for a space of time to get it
47:03right. I thank you that you're not
47:05willing that any should perish, but that
47:07all should come to repentance. Thank
47:09you, Lord Jesus, that you're caving.
47:11Thank you that you're still saving.
47:13You're still calling. Uh thank you that
47:15you're still reaching and you're still
47:17drawing. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that
47:19you're making a way. Hear your people
47:22today, right now. Hear their hearts cry,
47:25Lord. bring us back to you. Uh, oh yes,
47:29Jesus. Uh, yes, Jesus. We know that
47:31you're going to make a way. Uh, we know
47:33that you're going to make a way where
47:34there seems to be no way. We know, God,
47:36that you're going to fill in every
47:38valley, lay down every mountain. We
47:40know, God, that you're going to rebuke
47:41the enemy, Lord. We know, God, that
47:43you're going to bring them back to you
47:45in the name of Jesus.
47:50Yes, God. Today is the day of salvation,
47:53Lord. Today is the day to get right.
47:57Today is the day. Oh Lord, help us to be
48:00ready. Help my brothers and sisters to
48:02be ready. Uh help my co-workers to get
48:05ready. Help my neighbors to be ready.
48:08Put a love down in my heart. UH PUT A
48:10COMPASSION AND BURDEN and urgency down
48:12in my heart again. Lord I don't want to
48:15get comfortable in this world. Uh I
48:17don't want to get entangled by the
48:19affairs of this life. JESUS. OH GOD.
48:22GOD, I WANT TO BE SALT. I WANT to be
48:24light for you, Lord. Uh I want to tell
48:27somebody the good news I've got TO SHARE
48:29WITH SOMEBODY ABOUT HEAVEN. SOMEBODY
48:32needs to hear it, God. Use us. I pray in
48:34the name of Jesus.
48:40Come on. That's it. As you pray for
48:42others, come on. As you seek God on
48:44behalf of others, as you intercede on
48:47behalf of others, God is lifting your
48:50burden. God is taking care of your
48:53problems. God is reaching down into your
48:56heart and calming your fears. Uh come
48:58on. AS GOD SETS your eyes on things that
49:00are eternal, these temporal things are
49:03not going to cause you to worry or be
49:05anxious any longer. Oh God, set my eyes
49:08on things [music] of eternity. Set my
49:11affections on things that are eternal.
49:14[snorts]
49:17I don't want to just live as a consumer.
49:19I don't want to just LIVE FOR MYSELF. I
49:22DON'T WANT TO JUST live satisfied with
49:24my life. God, I got to reach somebody.
49:27Love somebody. Tell somebody.
49:31Oh yes, Jesus.
49:34Come on. I feel him reaching right now.
49:36He's reaching right now in this altar.
49:38He's reaching right now in this moment.
49:41Come on. Give your life to Jesus. Give
49:43yourself over to him. Stop running from
49:45him. Stop being ashamed. HE SAID, "I I
49:48I'LL MAKE ALL things new." Is what Jesus
49:51said. He'll cover you.
49:55Oh, he'll cover you. He'll cover your
49:58sins. HE'LL COVER YOUR MISTAKES. UH
50:00HE'LL DROP IT INTO the sea of
50:01forgetfulness. He'll remember it no
50:03more. He'll write your name down in the
50:05lamb's book of life. Come on. Today is
50:07your day uh to get your HEART RIGHT WITH
50:10GOD, TO LAY DOWN those habits, uh to lay
50:13down those addictions, uh to let freedom
50:15reign in you.
50:20Come on. I feel his presence here right
50:22now. I feel his glory here right now. I
50:25feel his spirit with us right now.
50:32Oh, I'm still going to trust you, Lord.
50:34I'm still going to trust you, Lord. I'M
50:37STILL GOING TO FOLLOW AFTER YOU, JESUS.
50:42OH, no matter the storm, God, I'm going
50:44to keep on trusting you, Lord. Oh yes,
50:48God, I'm going to live ready.
50:51I'm going live, God, to you, Jesus.
50:57[snorts] Oh yes, Jesus.
51:24Oh yes, God.
51:30Oh yes, Lord Jesus.
51:37Oh yes, Jesus.
51:41[singing]
51:49Glores.
51:54[music]
52:10Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
52:13Hallelujah. [music] I feel the
52:14intercessors in here this morning.
52:17There's a birthing that's happening
52:18right now. The Bible says creation is
52:21groaning. Waiting for the redemption.
52:23It's waiting for the redemption. But
52:25creation shouldn't be the only ones that
52:27are groaning. There ought to be a
52:28groaning in the church, an intercession
52:30in the church. The Bible says that
52:32Jesus, he makes intercession for us. And
52:35that the spirit through us, it
52:38intercedes with groanings. Groanings
52:41that can't even be uttered in our own
52:42natural language. But there's a
52:44groanings that's going to bring forth
52:46sons. It's going to bring forth
52:47daughters. It's going to bring people
52:48back to him. Oh Jesus. We're not just
52:51living this life concerned about our own
52:53problems. Lord, we're praying until we
52:56see Christ formed in others. We're going
52:59to pray until we see people come to know
53:01you, until they're delivered and set
53:04free. Raise up the intercessors of this
53:06generation. I pray that will live with
53:09eternity in their heart, God. that will
53:12live, oh Lord, with intercession in
53:14their mouth, Lord.
53:21Oh Jesus.
53:27Oh Jesus.
53:49Face to face.
53:56[music]
54:05Jesus.
54:11>> Oh, thank you Jesus.
54:53Hallelujah Jesus.
54:59leave you with this old song this
55:01morning to resonate in your spirit this
55:03week
55:04so that we'll live as if we truly do
55:07believe he's coming soon.
55:11But we used to sing a song back in the
55:14day. Some of you long-timers, if you
55:16know it,
55:18helps some of those around you to learn
55:20it.
55:22But the song says, "He's coming
55:27soon." [singing]
55:30He's coming
55:33soon.
55:35With joy [singing]
55:38we'll welcome his return.
55:47It may be more [singing]
55:53It may be night or noon. [singing]
55:59We know
56:01he's coming
56:05soon.
56:08It's why we got to live differently
56:11because he's [music] coming [singing]
56:15soon.
56:18He's coming [singing]
56:21soon.
56:24With joy [singing]
56:27will welcome his returning.
56:35It may [singing]
56:38be
56:39morning.
56:41It may be night or noon. Soon
56:47we know [singing]
56:51he's coming
56:54soon.
56:57One more time.
57:00He's coming [singing]
57:04soon.
57:06He's [singing] coming
57:10soon.
57:12with joy
57:15will [singing and music] welcome his
57:19returning.
57:24It may be
57:28morning. [music]
57:31It may be night or [singing] noon.
57:37We know
57:40he's coming
57:44soon. [singing]
57:48>> Let not your heart be troubled.
57:53>> The Lord is not slack concerning his
57:56promise
57:58as some men count slackness.
58:01>> Somebody hear this this morning because
58:03I hear the grieving in your spirit.
58:07And there may be even a little bit of
58:09trouble because of what you've done in
58:11your past.
58:12You love the Lord, but you made some
58:14mistakes.
58:16You love God, but you've stumbled along
58:19the way.
58:22But the Bible says that he's
58:24longsuffering
58:26to us word. Yes.
58:28>> Listen, he's not willing that any should
58:32perish,
58:34>> but that some would come to repentance.
58:39>> That a select few.
58:45>> Boy, that's a good word for pastors.
58:48That's a good word for preachers.
58:50That's a good word for men. That's a
58:53good word for women.
58:55That's a good word for saints. It's a
58:57good word for sinners.
59:00He's not willing
59:02that any perish,
59:05but that all should come
59:07to repentance.
59:10I wonder if you just lift your hands all
59:11over this place. Let the comfort of the
59:14Holy Ghost rest upon your spirit right
59:16now in the precious name of Jesus. His
59:18perfect love is going to banish fear
59:20from your life. the things that have
59:22tormented you, caused you to house
59:25yourself up all up in your emotions.
59:27It's caused you to try to hide away from
59:29him like Adam and Eve did. His love is
59:32calling you out into his light and he's
59:34going to heal you. He's going to forgive
59:36you. Come on, somebody just receive that
59:37right now in the name of Jesus. Father,
59:40we believe we're trusting you right now.
59:43We're not going to let our heart be
59:44troubled. We're going to trust in you.
59:46We're going to put our faith in you one
59:48day, one step, one moment, one thought
59:50at a time, cuz I don't know how else to
59:52do it. But Lord, I'm going to trust you
59:54every day. I'm going to trust you every
59:56moment. I'm going to keep coming back to
59:58you when I've made mistakes because
59:59you're an advocate. You're an advocate
60:01for me, Lord. You love me, Lord. Your
60:04blood is enough for me. Your mercy is
60:06new every morning. Your compassions fail
60:08not. So, I'm standing here by your
60:10grace, Lord. And I want to say thank
60:12you. I want to thank you, oh Lord, that
60:14you've not just forgiven me down here so
60:16I can feel better. You've forgiven me so
60:18that I can be with you in the place that
60:20you have prepared. I want to thank you,
60:22Lord, that where you're at, we're
60:24getting ready to be with you soon. I
60:26thank you, God, for this hope of glory.
60:29And I give you praise and thanks for
60:32today. Would you thank the Lord right
60:33now? Would you just praise him together
60:35with me?
60:40[applause]
60:44Hallelujah. [music]
60:46Hallelujah.
60:48The Bible says, "Wherefore comfort,
60:51Sister Benfield, comfort one another
60:55with these words." I need you to find
60:57two or three people. Introverts, you got
60:59to do it. I'm sorry. You got to do it. I
61:01need you to find two or three people
61:02before you leave and love on them, but
61:04just remind them he's coming [singing]
61:08soon. Go ahead and find him. We're
61:11closing out. You're dismissed in the
61:12wonderful name of Jesus. He's coming
61:15soon [singing]
61:17with joy.
61:20Will welcome. He's coming. Brother Wayne
61:29[music]
61:29[singing]
61:30>> Next Steps is happening. So if you want
61:32to come to Next Steps, please come
61:34through our double doors and meet us
61:36back at Next Steps. And Bible quizzing
61:38is starting downstairs if you'd like to
61:40join that this morning.
61:42[music and singing]
61:42>> We know he's coming
61:47soon. [singing] Come on. He's coming
61:49soon. Oh,
61:53[singing]
61:54>> if you want to be baptized today, we're
61:56ready to baptize you in the precious
61:57name of Jesus. [music]
62:00>> Woo! Comfort one another.
62:03Oh, with joy, with joy
62:06[singing and music]
62:07we'll welcome his returning.
62:11[singing and music]
62:14Oh, it may [singing]
62:17be morning.
62:21It may [singing and music] be night or
62:24noon.
62:26We [singing and music] know
62:29he's coming
62:33soon.
62:34Just one more time. It's too pretty to
62:36stop.
62:37>> Oh, he's [music and singing]
62:39coming
62:41soon.
62:44He's coming [music]
62:47soon.
62:50with joy
62:52will [singing]
62:53welcome [music]
62:54his return.
63:01It may [music]
63:03be morning. [singing]
63:06It may be night [music] or no.
63:12We know
63:15he's coming [singing]
63:18soon. Holy
63:31all creation,
63:34holy [singing]
63:37you are lifted high. [music]
63:41Holy [singing]
63:45holy forever. [music]
63:47[singing]
63:49Here your people
63:51your people [music]
63:52sing.
63:55Holy [singing]
63:57to the king of kings.
64:01Holy. [singing]
64:04You will always [music]
64:06be
64:08holy. [singing]
64:12Holy [music]
64:12forever.
64:18And the [music and singing] angels cry.
64:22Holy.
64:25All the angels. [music]
64:28Holy.
64:31You are lifted [music] high. [singing]
64:35Holy.
64:39Holy [music] forever.
64:42>> Hear your people [singing] sing.
64:45>> Do your [music] people sing.
64:49Holy
64:52to the King [music and singing] of
64:53Kings.
64:55Holy.
64:58You will [music] always be
65:02holy. [singing]
65:06Holy [music] forever.
65:12And the angels [music and singing]
65:14cry.
65:16Holy
65:19ancient cry.
65:22Holy.
65:25You are lifted [music and singing]
65:27high.
65:29Holy.
65:33Holy [music and singing]
65:34forever.
65:39Your people [music]
65:41sing.
65:43Holy
65:46to the King of Kings.
65:50Holy. [singing and music]
65:52You will always be
65:56holy. [music]
66:00Holy forever.
66:04[singing]
66:06The angels cry.
66:10[music] Holy. [singing]
66:13All the angels cry.
66:17Holy.
66:20You are lifted [music and singing] high.
66:23Holy.
66:27Glory forever.
66:30[music]
66:33Hear your people singy
66:37[music and singing]
66:40to the king of kings.
66:44Holy.
66:45[music]
66:47You will always be
66:50holy. [music]
66:54Holy [singing] forever.
67:38Hello down.
68:02Hello.
68:11Heat.
68:16Heat. Heat.
68:39Hey.
69:00Hey. Hey.
69:29Heat. Heat.
69:54Heat. Heat.
71:38Hello.
71:56Hey. Hey.
71:59Heat. Heat. N.
73:41feel.
74:17Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
74:18hey hey hey hey.
75:57Amen. Praise the Lord everyone.
76:01This is [music] our dear brother Jason.
76:06We are about to baptize him in the
76:08highest name under heaven.
76:11A little bit of his background. He grew
76:13up in a Pentecostal church [music] but
76:15strayed away for a little while. But the
76:18Lord has been dealing with him. And it
76:19was today that he made the decision to
76:22rededicate his life to God. He was
76:24refilled with the Holy Ghost.
76:26Hallelujah.
76:28And now he's about to go down in water
76:30in Jesus' [music] name for the
76:32forgiveness of every sin. Hallelujah.
76:35Help me pray over him if you will.
76:37Heavenly Father, in your name, Jesus,
76:39[music] Lord, we thank you and we praise
76:40you for everything that you're doing in
76:42his life, Lord. Thank you for giving him
76:43a mind, Lord, to rededicate himself to
76:46you to do the one thing that matters
76:48most in this life, Lord, which is giving
76:50our lives to you. [music] Hallelujah.
76:53Lord God, walk with him and go with him
76:55in everything that he does. Lord Jesus,
76:58never let him look back. Oh God, in the
77:00mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Protect
77:01him, provide for him, Lord, and keep him
77:03in all of your ways. In Jesus' name we
77:06pray. Amen and amen.
77:09>> Hallelujah.
77:19My dear brother Jason,
77:22upon the confession
77:25of your faith concerning our Lord Jesus
77:27Christ
77:29and the confession of all of your sins,
77:31[music] I indeed baptize you in the
77:34mighty name of Jesus Christ for the
77:36remission of your sins. In Jesus name we
77:41>> Hallelujah.
77:42Hallelujah.
77:45No no no.
78:22I don't feel
78:59There it is.