1 00:00:32,019 --> 00:00:39,619 All right. You still glad you came? Okay. Take it one step at a 2 00:00:39,619 --> 00:00:50,499 time. You bring your Bible tonight, okay. That pick. You lonely, 3 00:00:51,699 --> 00:00:54,819 brother? Stone just fell inside the guitar. Just let you know. 4 00:00:58,189 --> 00:01:07,989 Isaiah, chapter number 66. Isaiah, chapter number 66. Begin 5 00:01:07,989 --> 00:01:21,479 reading. In verse number one. Thus saith the Lord. The heavens 6 00:01:22,269 --> 00:01:28,309 is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house 7 00:01:28,309 --> 00:01:34,429 that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For 8 00:01:34,429 --> 00:01:40,749 all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have 9 00:01:40,749 --> 00:01:47,709 been, saith the Lord, but to this man will I look even to him 10 00:01:48,899 --> 00:01:55,939 that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word. 11 00:01:56,659 --> 00:01:59,139 You might want to underline that. I don't know if you've noticed 12 00:01:59,139 --> 00:02:06,539 it or not. That trembleth at my word. When you realize the beauty 13 00:02:06,539 --> 00:02:09,619 and the glory and the power and the wisdom that's in the Bible 14 00:02:09,939 --> 00:02:16,949 and that God gave us a book, gave us the Bible. And sometimes 15 00:02:16,949 --> 00:02:20,029 when I think about how amazing it is, because I wouldn't know. We 16 00:02:20,029 --> 00:02:23,429 couldn't know God without the Bible. We couldn't know anything 17 00:02:23,429 --> 00:02:27,709 about God. We couldn't know how to be saved. And even the laws 18 00:02:27,709 --> 00:02:30,589 in the Old Testament, if we didn't have the law, we wouldn't 19 00:02:30,589 --> 00:02:35,029 even know we needed to be saved. Is that right? Yeah. If there 20 00:02:35,029 --> 00:02:37,869 was no law, we figured, well, we haven't broken the law. We haven't 21 00:02:37,869 --> 00:02:41,749 done anything. And of course, they've taken the ten Commandments 22 00:02:41,749 --> 00:02:44,709 out of most public schools because they don't want the kids 23 00:02:44,709 --> 00:02:49,149 to feel guilty and they don't want them to see the laws. So if 24 00:02:49,149 --> 00:02:52,189 they don't see them, they don't memorize them, they don't know 25 00:02:52,189 --> 00:02:55,989 them. Well, then what have they got to worry about? Just do 26 00:02:55,989 --> 00:03:00,509 the best you can. Be a good person. Okay. Look at verse number 27 00:03:00,509 --> 00:03:04,909 five. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word. 28 00:03:06,029 --> 00:03:11,069 Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name sakes, 29 00:03:11,389 --> 00:03:15,929 said, let the Lord be glorified. But he shall appear to 30 00:03:15,929 --> 00:03:23,329 your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the 31 00:03:23,329 --> 00:03:27,289 city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth 32 00:03:27,289 --> 00:03:30,809 recompense to his enemies. Now, here's what I want you to start 33 00:03:30,809 --> 00:03:38,059 focusing on. Before she travailed, she brought forth. Before 34 00:03:38,059 --> 00:03:45,699 her pain came, she was delivered of a man child who hath 35 00:03:45,699 --> 00:03:51,299 heard such a thing, who hath seen such things. Shall the earth 36 00:03:51,299 --> 00:03:56,179 be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at 37 00:03:56,179 --> 00:04:02,979 once? For as soon as Zion travailed She brought forth her children. 38 00:04:04,489 --> 00:04:08,969 Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth, saith the 39 00:04:08,969 --> 00:04:14,609 Lord. Shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb, saith thy 40 00:04:14,609 --> 00:04:20,089 God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her. All ye that 41 00:04:20,089 --> 00:04:27,089 love her. Rejoice for joy with her all ye that mourn for her. Now, 42 00:04:27,089 --> 00:04:31,099 it will not be very deep tonight, but I think it's interesting 43 00:04:31,659 --> 00:04:35,739 that it's mentioned. Trembling is mentioned, but it also speaks 44 00:04:36,299 --> 00:04:43,139 very clearly of travail. Travail. Now, this was before modern 45 00:04:43,139 --> 00:04:47,819 times and modern medicines. But generally speaking, most women 46 00:04:48,539 --> 00:04:56,579 who give birth have some kind of pain. Okay, travail. Am I right? 47 00:04:57,699 --> 00:05:02,899 Most of the time, that's what we associate that with. I remember 48 00:05:03,539 --> 00:05:10,299 when I was first becoming a father and my wife went into the 49 00:05:10,299 --> 00:05:14,699 hospital. They didn't have a labor room. It was an old house that 50 00:05:14,699 --> 00:05:19,179 they had converted into a hospital. And they just had a long 51 00:05:19,179 --> 00:05:24,489 haul. And the women in labor had a curtain around them. And back 52 00:05:24,489 --> 00:05:28,689 in those days, they didn't allow any husbands around. I had 53 00:05:28,689 --> 00:05:34,809 to sit in the corner and twiddle my thumbs and pray and read 54 00:05:34,809 --> 00:05:41,009 and just kind of wait. But I could hear travailing. How'd you 55 00:05:41,009 --> 00:05:44,249 ladies like to be just shoved over into a hallway with a curtain? 56 00:05:45,369 --> 00:05:49,329 I don't think too many of you go. Sound like fun to me. I don't 57 00:05:49,329 --> 00:05:54,539 think so, but. And the same thing happened a little bit better 58 00:05:54,539 --> 00:06:00,339 when our daughter was born. She was born in a regular hospital 59 00:06:00,419 --> 00:06:05,419 in Columbus, but they still wouldn't let daddies go in. You just 60 00:06:05,419 --> 00:06:09,539 had to sit there. And they did have a little waiting room. And I 61 00:06:09,539 --> 00:06:12,779 remember. All I remember about my daughter's birth is I was watching 62 00:06:12,779 --> 00:06:20,149 I Love Lucy on television. My wife was. Well, she was travailing, 63 00:06:20,789 --> 00:06:25,869 okay. And I used to tease her, boy, honey, it must have been rough. 64 00:06:25,869 --> 00:06:34,629 I know how you feel. No man knows how a woman feels. But we understand 65 00:06:34,789 --> 00:06:40,149 travail. And it says here, we just read in verse seven, before 66 00:06:40,149 --> 00:06:44,469 she travailed, she brought forth. Before her pain came. Verse 67 00:06:44,469 --> 00:06:49,349 8. Who hath heard such things? That's just not. That doesn't happen. 68 00:06:50,869 --> 00:06:55,669 And so I want you to take that word and think about it for a moment. 69 00:06:56,149 --> 00:07:01,709 Because I think we can apply that to a lot of things in our Christian 70 00:07:01,709 --> 00:07:06,229 walk with God. Let me give you the first one. And you think about 71 00:07:06,229 --> 00:07:15,319 it for a moment. Do you ever travail in prayer? Do you feel the 72 00:07:15,319 --> 00:07:21,639 pain sometimes when you're praying, you women that have had 73 00:07:21,639 --> 00:07:26,599 children and you experience the deep pain and all that that we 74 00:07:26,599 --> 00:07:32,239 can't really understand or explain as men, but for men and women, 75 00:07:32,319 --> 00:07:36,639 think about that and think about that word travail. Travail. 76 00:07:38,479 --> 00:07:42,799 I sometimes wonder if the passion and fervency of our prayer 77 00:07:43,279 --> 00:07:47,319 could be measured like a thermometer. Wouldn't that be kind 78 00:07:47,319 --> 00:07:51,999 of something to have a thermometer that says, how fervent 79 00:07:53,519 --> 00:07:58,759 is our prayer life? I don't know about you, but sometimes my 80 00:07:58,759 --> 00:08:02,569 prayer life needs a little revival. Sometimes it needs a little 81 00:08:02,569 --> 00:08:09,529 tune up. Sometimes I can find myself repeating things a lot. And 82 00:08:09,529 --> 00:08:13,689 I don't know that God frowns at that necessarily. But you know, 83 00:08:13,929 --> 00:08:18,049 the Pharisees were famous for reciting their prayers and praying 84 00:08:18,049 --> 00:08:21,409 real loud so everybody could hear them and go, wow, what a spiritual 85 00:08:21,409 --> 00:08:25,209 person they are. Well, they weren't even saved, but they were 86 00:08:25,449 --> 00:08:30,549 saying prayers. I never cared for that, that phrase, saying prayer. 87 00:08:31,189 --> 00:08:34,909 Maybe some people meant just praying. They don't mean necessarily 88 00:08:34,909 --> 00:08:39,549 reciting a prayer. But a lot of people do recite prayers. I'm 89 00:08:39,549 --> 00:08:45,229 not, you know, saying that's necessarily wrong, but praying from 90 00:08:45,229 --> 00:08:49,669 the heart and not rehearsing your prayers I think is a good thing. 91 00:08:50,629 --> 00:08:53,589 And sometimes I preached just a few weeks ago, some of you may 92 00:08:53,589 --> 00:08:58,459 remember about groaning and sometimes I can't find the words 93 00:08:59,259 --> 00:09:02,859 when I'm praying about something. I've had some of those 94 00:09:02,859 --> 00:09:08,339 things just recently in prayer for the church here and for the future 95 00:09:08,339 --> 00:09:12,139 and all that and praying and say, lord, I don't really know how 96 00:09:12,139 --> 00:09:16,699 to put it in words, but in my heart. There's kind of a wrenching 97 00:09:16,699 --> 00:09:21,299 in my heart, it's uncomfortable. But, Lord, you know 98 00:09:21,299 --> 00:09:25,649 what I want to say. I may not say it right and then I'll pray about 99 00:09:25,649 --> 00:09:29,849 it and sometimes I'll start praying again with words that I didn't 100 00:09:29,849 --> 00:09:33,249 think about and then I'll stop and groan a little more. But I'm 101 00:09:33,249 --> 00:09:37,009 talking about travailing, praying, praying until you get through, 102 00:09:37,409 --> 00:09:40,689 praying until you find the answer. Praying until your peace 103 00:09:40,689 --> 00:09:44,929 floods over your soul and your heart and you say, God's gonna take 104 00:09:44,929 --> 00:09:49,369 care of this. I won't ask you to raise your hand, but have you 105 00:09:49,369 --> 00:09:53,309 ever had that in prayer? To be praying and enjoyed prayer and enjoyed 106 00:09:53,309 --> 00:09:57,869 the time with God so much that you got up and says, God's going 107 00:09:57,869 --> 00:10:01,669 to take care of it. That's foreign to a lot of people because 108 00:10:02,229 --> 00:10:06,309 many times we, again, like I said, we kind of time our prayers 109 00:10:06,309 --> 00:10:10,429 and we got things to do, places to go, people to see and call 110 00:10:10,429 --> 00:10:14,709 and check our emails and all that kind of stuff. And again, it's 111 00:10:14,709 --> 00:10:17,829 not always about the good and the bad, but the good and the best. 112 00:10:18,699 --> 00:10:24,979 And the best time you'll ever have is your time with God. And it's 113 00:10:24,979 --> 00:10:29,139 a challenge today to find a place and a time to where maybe the 114 00:10:29,139 --> 00:10:33,339 phone won't ring or the dog won't bark or somebody knock on the 115 00:10:33,339 --> 00:10:38,059 door. But you know when you get a burden for prayer. Here it 116 00:10:38,059 --> 00:10:43,939 was talking about travailing. Travailing. A woman has pain and 117 00:10:43,939 --> 00:10:48,579 travail before the beauty of a birth and the excitement of a birth 118 00:10:48,579 --> 00:10:52,819 and the crying and hurting turns into a laughter and a joy. 119 00:10:54,979 --> 00:10:59,699 Travailing in prayer is not common. It's soul wrenching. It's 120 00:11:00,339 --> 00:11:04,979 agonizing. Not all the time. I'm not saying that all the time. 121 00:11:04,979 --> 00:11:08,459 Sometimes prayers work. Sometimes prayer is like fighting 122 00:11:08,459 --> 00:11:14,389 a battle. Sometimes prayer is just wonderful. You smile while you 123 00:11:14,389 --> 00:11:19,349 pray and you just thank God for who he is and all that he's done. 124 00:11:19,349 --> 00:11:26,709 But sometimes it's agonizing. Agonizing, desperate. Like in an 125 00:11:26,709 --> 00:11:31,429 emergency room. I've been in many emergency rooms where people's 126 00:11:31,429 --> 00:11:36,789 life was ebbing away quickly and we would hold hands and I guarantee 127 00:11:36,789 --> 00:11:41,429 you we weren't praying. Now I lay me down to sleep, pray the Lord 128 00:11:41,429 --> 00:11:45,069 my soul to keep. We eat and I never even and nothing wrong. So 129 00:11:45,069 --> 00:11:48,509 don't get upset. But I never said, our Father which art in heaven, 130 00:11:48,509 --> 00:11:53,709 hallowed be thy name. No, I was crying out to God, lord, help 131 00:11:53,709 --> 00:11:57,109 us and help this family and help this person, Lord, if it be 132 00:11:57,109 --> 00:12:01,669 your will to save them and raise them up and heal them. Sometimes 133 00:12:01,989 --> 00:12:06,169 God says there's. There's something better. The ultimate healing 134 00:12:06,249 --> 00:12:12,249 is in heaven. You ever heard that before? The ultimate healing? 135 00:12:12,649 --> 00:12:15,129 I mean, if God heals you down here, something else is going to 136 00:12:15,129 --> 00:12:18,609 come very probably pretty soon, right? Not being negative, 137 00:12:18,609 --> 00:12:23,649 it's just the fact of life. This body that we have and all the 138 00:12:23,649 --> 00:12:28,369 things we deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes God heals. God doesn't 139 00:12:28,369 --> 00:12:36,399 always heal. Even Paul asked God to heal him three times. God 140 00:12:36,399 --> 00:12:39,399 said no, but I'll give you all the grace that you'll need. My grace 141 00:12:39,399 --> 00:12:44,519 will be sufficient. If God doesn't heal everybody doesn't mean 142 00:12:44,519 --> 00:12:47,879 they're not worth it or they're not worthy. It means that 143 00:12:47,879 --> 00:12:52,439 God has a better plan and purpose and all things work together 144 00:12:52,439 --> 00:12:58,929 for good. To them that love God and all means all. It's kind 145 00:12:58,929 --> 00:13:04,129 of a misnomer to say, well, almost all. What is that supposed 146 00:13:04,129 --> 00:13:09,889 to mean? Almost all things work together for good. We gotta 147 00:13:09,889 --> 00:13:14,209 decide the sooner the better. Does all mean all the worst things 148 00:13:14,209 --> 00:13:18,649 that can happen, even sin in our life or failures or problems? 149 00:13:19,769 --> 00:13:25,249 Is that included in that word? All things work together? Yes. Yes, 150 00:13:25,249 --> 00:13:30,409 it is. It means all things. Sometimes God can turn bad into good. 151 00:13:30,409 --> 00:13:35,769 Sometimes God can turn a tragedy into triumph. Sometimes God 152 00:13:35,769 --> 00:13:43,529 can turn a battle. God can do anything but fail. He can't lie either. 153 00:13:46,329 --> 00:13:51,549 You need to anchor your soul with, we sang a moment ago, promises 154 00:13:51,949 --> 00:13:59,229 about the promises of God. The apostle Paul said, my heart's desire 155 00:13:59,229 --> 00:14:04,229 and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. And 156 00:14:04,229 --> 00:14:08,309 then he went on to say, I would wish myself accursed if they 157 00:14:08,309 --> 00:14:11,589 could be saved. I've never prayed a prayer like that. Maybe 158 00:14:11,589 --> 00:14:16,069 you have. I've never prayed, lord, just take my salvation away, 159 00:14:16,069 --> 00:14:25,219 but save this nation or these people. Men who have moved God have 160 00:14:25,219 --> 00:14:29,779 been men of travailing prayer. And when I say men, certainly talking 161 00:14:29,779 --> 00:14:34,579 about mankind, Christian men, not just men, women have just as 162 00:14:34,579 --> 00:14:41,059 much power in prayer as the men do. They really do. They're not 163 00:14:41,059 --> 00:14:49,069 the backup prayer, okay? They're not. And you men out there, 164 00:14:49,069 --> 00:14:53,949 you husbands and fathers and grandfathers, you need to get on 165 00:14:53,949 --> 00:15:04,309 your knees and fight like a man. Amen. David Brainerd died at 166 00:15:04,309 --> 00:15:12,839 age 29, missionary to Indians. And the history tells us that literally 167 00:15:12,839 --> 00:15:17,959 when he would pray outside a camp of Indians, that actually the 168 00:15:17,959 --> 00:15:25,119 snow would melt where he was kneeling, praying. The effectual 169 00:15:25,119 --> 00:15:31,239 fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. The only righteous 170 00:15:31,399 --> 00:15:34,439 we have is Christ's righteousness. Amen. There is none 171 00:15:34,439 --> 00:15:38,439 righteous. No, not one. But we claim the righteousness of Christ. 172 00:15:38,439 --> 00:15:42,799 But it says the effectual fervent prayer, boiling hot prayer. 173 00:15:44,959 --> 00:15:47,839 We're trying to get. Still trying to get the push ministry off 174 00:15:47,839 --> 00:15:52,639 the ground. Brother Cox reminds me each week, we're still 175 00:15:52,879 --> 00:15:55,279 putting it out there and trying to get people to say, yeah, 176 00:15:55,279 --> 00:15:58,599 I could do that for a couple of minutes a week, meet with two 177 00:15:58,599 --> 00:16:01,439 or three people or however many and pray just for one thing. 178 00:16:02,309 --> 00:16:05,909 That's it, you know, way ahead of time. It's the same thing. Every 179 00:16:05,909 --> 00:16:11,389 week. You pray one thing. And so if you're still interested in 180 00:16:11,389 --> 00:16:15,269 that or at least find out more about it, some people say, well, 181 00:16:15,589 --> 00:16:19,309 I don't know if I can lead it or not. Get somebody else to come 182 00:16:19,309 --> 00:16:24,149 with you, and you're in charge. But they pray, okay? So, 183 00:16:24,229 --> 00:16:27,469 you know, people do what they want to do. And everybody here is 184 00:16:27,469 --> 00:16:32,749 busy. Some of you are very, very busy. But we should always have 185 00:16:32,749 --> 00:16:37,909 a little time to pray. And then the travail, not only of Prayer. 186 00:16:37,909 --> 00:16:45,229 But the travail of concern I mentioned a moment ago in Romans 187 00:16:45,229 --> 00:16:49,349 chapter 9. I have great heaviness, Paul said, continual sorrow, 188 00:16:49,429 --> 00:16:54,589 continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish myself a curse from 189 00:16:54,589 --> 00:16:59,379 Christ. For my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh, 190 00:17:02,339 --> 00:17:11,059 we seldom lose sleep or appetite or travail over the lost. 191 00:17:13,139 --> 00:17:16,819 Billy Sunday was walking back to the hotel one night after preaching. 192 00:17:18,579 --> 00:17:21,869 He heard someone following behind him, and he turned and met 193 00:17:21,869 --> 00:17:26,229 a young teenager. The boy asked if he could walk with Mr. Sunday, 194 00:17:26,309 --> 00:17:32,949 and of course he said yes. He said to Mr. Sunday, Billy Sunday, 195 00:17:33,029 --> 00:17:37,189 he said, my dad is a Christian. He's a leader in the church. 196 00:17:38,069 --> 00:17:43,789 My mom is, too. She teaches Sunday school. My sister is a Christian 197 00:17:43,789 --> 00:17:49,958 and president of the youth class. And brother Sunday, I've never 198 00:17:49,958 --> 00:17:54,638 been saved. Mr. Sunday asked, well, has any of your family ever 199 00:17:54,638 --> 00:17:57,558 spoken to you about where you're going to spend eternity? About 200 00:17:57,558 --> 00:18:06,238 being saved? The boy said, no, sir, they never have. Nobody has. 201 00:18:08,238 --> 00:18:14,439 Do you think, Mr. Sunday, that they care about my soul? The preacher 202 00:18:14,439 --> 00:18:18,799 put his hand on the young man's shoulder and said, son, I must 203 00:18:18,799 --> 00:18:25,359 be honest. I don't think they do, or else they would have spoken 204 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:30,599 to you by now. And Billy Sunday sat on the park bench with 205 00:18:30,599 --> 00:18:35,279 that boy and led him to Christ. Just think about that for 206 00:18:35,279 --> 00:18:42,289 a minute. Everybody in the family, and no one ever talked to 207 00:18:42,289 --> 00:18:49,089 the boy in the family about the need to be saved. The question 208 00:18:49,089 --> 00:19:00,169 is, have you ever travailed over a lost soul? What about travail 209 00:19:00,169 --> 00:19:06,099 of tears? God puts a premium on tears. I've mentioned that in 210 00:19:06,099 --> 00:19:09,939 several messages, but I want you to just see it again. I don't 211 00:19:09,939 --> 00:19:13,219 know if you've actually read it with me, but in the book of Psalms, 212 00:19:14,179 --> 00:19:17,139 if you can turn there, right in the middle of your Bible, to chapter 213 00:19:17,139 --> 00:19:28,539 number 56, Psalm 56, And I want you to look in verse number 214 00:19:28,539 --> 00:19:33,429 eight of Psalm 56. Thou tellest my wanderings. Put thou my 215 00:19:33,429 --> 00:19:41,029 tears into thy bottle. Are they not in thy book? When he said, 216 00:19:41,029 --> 00:19:45,909 are they not in thy book, that was not asking for an answer. He 217 00:19:45,909 --> 00:19:53,029 was declaring, they're in your book. You're a God of detail. I mean, 218 00:19:53,029 --> 00:19:58,829 if God even gave instruction on the size and color of the curtain 219 00:19:58,829 --> 00:20:04,369 rings in the tabernacle, you think he might be interested in the 220 00:20:04,369 --> 00:20:10,609 prayers of his children, who in the days of his flesh, when he 221 00:20:10,609 --> 00:20:15,129 had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying 222 00:20:15,129 --> 00:20:21,889 and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was 223 00:20:21,889 --> 00:20:30,859 heard in that he feared. I've seen a lot of people. And, you know, 224 00:20:30,859 --> 00:20:36,099 I'm thinking right now, I've seen some of you men, and again, 225 00:20:36,499 --> 00:20:40,259 we don't measure somebody's spirituality by how many tears they 226 00:20:40,259 --> 00:20:48,499 shed. But I've noticed people here in the church weep, cry during 227 00:20:48,499 --> 00:20:54,069 prayer or during discussion or during a sermon. And men, let me 228 00:20:54,069 --> 00:20:57,549 just tell you, I don't cry easily either, but never be ashamed 229 00:20:57,549 --> 00:21:02,549 of tears. So many men turn around and want to hide and kind 230 00:21:02,549 --> 00:21:07,949 of suck it up. Pardon the expression, but just men have been 231 00:21:07,949 --> 00:21:14,229 taught for years that it's a sign of weakness for a man to cry. 232 00:21:14,229 --> 00:21:19,349 I think it's a sign of strength. Again, I'm not comparing 233 00:21:19,349 --> 00:21:23,629 you and saying men that never cry are not very strong Christians. 234 00:21:23,629 --> 00:21:29,189 They may be much stronger than me or you, but I just want to make 235 00:21:29,189 --> 00:21:33,349 the point. Travailing in tears. Remember that illustration 236 00:21:33,349 --> 00:21:36,589 I gave you a few weeks ago? The man, the preacher that was afraid 237 00:21:36,589 --> 00:21:40,469 to share the gospel, he knocked on the door, mean old man, 238 00:21:40,469 --> 00:21:45,269 blacksmith, you remember that? And he just broke down and cried. 239 00:21:45,269 --> 00:21:48,189 He couldn't even speak to the man. As soon as the man opened the 240 00:21:48,189 --> 00:21:51,169 door, he just broke down and cried. And it embarrassed him so 241 00:21:51,169 --> 00:21:56,649 bad that he ran home and he told his wife that he had failed. 242 00:21:56,649 --> 00:22:00,529 And she said, well, just try again. And the very next night did 243 00:22:00,529 --> 00:22:04,009 the same thing. And the same thing happened. Knocked on the door 244 00:22:04,009 --> 00:22:08,169 already, took a deep breath, going to ask the man about his soul. 245 00:22:09,689 --> 00:22:13,809 The man opened the door and the preacher started crying. He went 246 00:22:13,809 --> 00:22:18,159 back home, told his wife, sat in the chair. I guess it's no use. 247 00:22:18,159 --> 00:22:22,839 I'm just not a soul winner. But it wasn't long after that that 248 00:22:22,839 --> 00:22:28,359 old man, that silversmith, knocked on the door of that man, 249 00:22:29,559 --> 00:22:36,359 said, could I come in? And preacher said, well, of course. He 250 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,839 said, I need to be saved. He said, well, I've been coming to talk 251 00:22:39,839 --> 00:22:43,149 to you about your salvation. He said, yeah, but I never. I've 252 00:22:43,149 --> 00:22:49,549 never in my life seen a man cry over my soul. I want to be saved. 253 00:22:50,429 --> 00:22:55,949 Tears are a language. And again, it's not the only language. 254 00:22:56,829 --> 00:23:04,309 But it is a language. Paul said in Acts 20, or Peter, maybe 255 00:23:04,309 --> 00:23:06,229 I'll have to go back and check. I don't remember. I think 256 00:23:06,229 --> 00:23:11,079 it was Paul. Yes, it was. He said, therefore watch and remember 257 00:23:11,079 --> 00:23:15,959 that in the space of three years, I cease not to warn everyone. 258 00:23:16,279 --> 00:23:23,599 Night and day with tears. It's just hard to ignore somebody who 259 00:23:23,599 --> 00:23:27,239 has a broken heart. And by the way, I don't know that it's necessarily 260 00:23:27,239 --> 00:23:30,559 wrong for you to pray for God to give you tears. And give you a 261 00:23:30,559 --> 00:23:34,249 broken heart. For people you may have a broken heart, you just 262 00:23:34,249 --> 00:23:40,089 don't cry much. Maybe you would say, God, if you could use 263 00:23:40,089 --> 00:23:44,769 my tears, then give me tears. It's hard for people to slam the 264 00:23:44,769 --> 00:23:47,969 door and forget about it and say, don't bother me ever again. 265 00:23:47,969 --> 00:23:50,449 When you're sitting there crying for them and saying, please, 266 00:23:50,449 --> 00:23:53,809 could I just share a minute with you of what God's done in my 267 00:23:53,809 --> 00:24:00,479 life and what he can do in your life. And then there's the travail 268 00:24:00,959 --> 00:24:07,439 of planting. You know, the Bible says some men sow and plant 269 00:24:07,599 --> 00:24:13,879 some water, but God gives the increase. Sometimes you witness to 270 00:24:13,879 --> 00:24:16,679 people and nothing really happens. And you think you failed, 271 00:24:16,679 --> 00:24:21,119 but what you did was plant a seed. Somebody else may come along 272 00:24:21,759 --> 00:24:27,529 maybe a year later, two years, and they'll remember and they'll 273 00:24:27,529 --> 00:24:30,969 understand and they'll say, yes, someone shared that with me 274 00:24:30,969 --> 00:24:39,209 one time. And somebody else may water and then someone else come 275 00:24:39,209 --> 00:24:44,729 along and reap the harvest. But planting seed is not necessarily 276 00:24:44,889 --> 00:24:50,369 an easy job. Most of us know little about that at all. Travailing 277 00:24:50,369 --> 00:24:53,289 and planting. We have a grocery store right down the street, 278 00:24:54,099 --> 00:24:57,059 so why would you? I mean, my wife has a little garden about this 279 00:24:57,059 --> 00:25:00,419 long. She loves to do that, but she don't want to depend on that 280 00:25:00,579 --> 00:25:06,899 to feed her husband. She goes to the grocery store. But for those 281 00:25:06,899 --> 00:25:12,099 that may were raised in a farm or know people that have, Planting's 282 00:25:12,099 --> 00:25:20,509 a pretty hard work. Breaking up the soil, pulling out roots and 283 00:25:20,509 --> 00:25:25,709 rocks, working from dawn till dusk, and then praying that it might 284 00:25:25,709 --> 00:25:32,669 rain or not rain too much. I'm talking about planting the word of 285 00:25:32,669 --> 00:25:36,869 God in the hearts of family and friends and strangers and maybe 286 00:25:36,869 --> 00:25:42,189 even our enemies. I remember walking behind the plow of my granddad. 287 00:25:42,269 --> 00:25:47,519 I called him Granddaddy, actually. He had a plow. And when 288 00:25:47,519 --> 00:25:54,359 I was very little, I'd follow behind him every day. I remember 289 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:58,119 him, except on Sunday, he always wore a suit. But to church, 290 00:25:58,599 --> 00:26:02,239 but every other day that I can remember. I never remember ever seeing 291 00:26:02,239 --> 00:26:05,599 my granddad without a pair of khaki pants and a khaki shirt to 292 00:26:05,599 --> 00:26:11,529 match. And it was my job back then to iron them. I was the oldest 293 00:26:11,529 --> 00:26:14,849 of four kids, and mom taught me how to iron. So I had to iron 294 00:26:14,849 --> 00:26:20,329 granddaddy's shirt and pants. But I remember seeing him in the 295 00:26:20,329 --> 00:26:26,609 sweat as he would fight that plow. And I would go behind him barefooted, 296 00:26:27,489 --> 00:26:35,249 filling that nice, cool black soil, dropping seeds in, you know, 297 00:26:35,249 --> 00:26:39,729 to clear and cultivate the soil in the human heart is not an 298 00:26:39,729 --> 00:26:45,329 easy thing to do, winning people to yourself and tearing down 299 00:26:45,329 --> 00:26:50,689 the blockades that they put up and the excuses and just reaching 300 00:26:50,689 --> 00:26:54,328 out to them and gradually through time winning them over to 301 00:26:54,328 --> 00:26:59,249 you. It takes travail, kindness and caring and serving and 302 00:26:59,249 --> 00:27:03,529 giving and going out of your way and postponing maybe your personal 303 00:27:03,609 --> 00:27:11,129 plans so that you can maybe win them to Christ. There are many 304 00:27:11,129 --> 00:27:14,969 reasons we don't win more people to Christ than we do. But 305 00:27:14,969 --> 00:27:19,289 one is that we're usually too tired from doing other things that 306 00:27:19,289 --> 00:27:24,049 may not be as important as we think they are. And then there's 307 00:27:24,049 --> 00:27:29,129 the travail of remorse. And when I think of this, I think about 308 00:27:29,129 --> 00:27:36,739 revival, travailing for revival, spending a long time with 309 00:27:36,739 --> 00:27:40,699 God saying, lord, I need revival. Or our church needs a good 310 00:27:40,699 --> 00:27:45,619 old revival to shake people and to break their hearts and to 311 00:27:46,179 --> 00:27:49,739 help them to not just stroll up to the altar, but almost run to 312 00:27:49,739 --> 00:27:54,339 the altar and fall on their face before God and say, oh, God, 313 00:27:55,219 --> 00:27:58,649 oh, we need you so desperately. Help us, Lord, help 314 00:27:58,649 --> 00:28:06,609 us. I need revival in my life and in my family. Repentance. We 315 00:28:06,609 --> 00:28:11,249 hardly even hear the word much anymore. Repentance. Yet the Bible 316 00:28:11,249 --> 00:28:13,929 clearly says without repentance there's no remission of 317 00:28:13,929 --> 00:28:18,649 sins. Modern Christianity want to take that word completely out. 318 00:28:19,289 --> 00:28:23,009 They don't want to talk about repentance because they think that 319 00:28:23,009 --> 00:28:25,449 means being sorry for your sin. Number one, most people don't 320 00:28:25,449 --> 00:28:30,989 think they've sinned that bad. But repentance, that just goes straight. 321 00:28:30,989 --> 00:28:33,309 Do you want to go to heaven one day? Well, all you gotta do is 322 00:28:33,309 --> 00:28:37,349 pray and ask Jesus in your heart. We don't need to mention repentance. 323 00:28:37,349 --> 00:28:42,469 Well, Jesus did. Jesus did. And I think a lot of people today 324 00:28:42,469 --> 00:28:49,949 maybe are religiously lost. They left one ingredient. There's 325 00:28:49,949 --> 00:28:54,199 only three, but you leave out a third of the ingredient. Amen. 326 00:28:54,199 --> 00:29:03,279 Repent, believe and receive a remorse, a repentance, a travailing. 327 00:29:04,879 --> 00:29:09,319 Peter, after the wordless sermon of Christ, he had denied Jesus 328 00:29:09,319 --> 00:29:12,999 three times. And then one of the greatest sermons Jesus ever preached 329 00:29:12,999 --> 00:29:15,519 to Peter. He didn't even open his mouth. He didn't say a word. 330 00:29:15,679 --> 00:29:18,879 He just turned around and looked at Peter. And the Bible says, 331 00:29:19,039 --> 00:29:25,019 their eyes met each other and immediately Peter went out and wept 332 00:29:25,019 --> 00:29:30,779 bitterly and repented. Got things straightened out with God. 333 00:29:31,419 --> 00:29:36,179 He was wonderfully used for God. Soul winning is one of the great 334 00:29:36,179 --> 00:29:40,219 results and evidences of true revival. We don't think we have revival 335 00:29:40,219 --> 00:29:43,819 unless somebody gets saved. Well, we always want people to get 336 00:29:43,819 --> 00:29:48,829 saved. But if we had a revival and people quit just saying what 337 00:29:48,829 --> 00:29:52,829 they believe and live what they believe. It might make a very 338 00:29:52,829 --> 00:30:00,909 big difference when people hear the gospel preached. Hyman Appleman, 339 00:30:00,909 --> 00:30:03,229 I don't know if you've ever heard of him or not. He was a great 340 00:30:03,229 --> 00:30:07,669 preacher years ago, I think. He was Jewish, wasn't he? Hyman Appelman, 341 00:30:07,669 --> 00:30:12,389 I think, was a Jewish preacher, preached a revival in Oklahoma. 342 00:30:12,389 --> 00:30:18,039 He. Years ago, a family was in that church, and there were four 343 00:30:18,039 --> 00:30:23,559 sons and four sisters, and they all attended church except for 344 00:30:23,559 --> 00:30:31,799 one. He was a barber by trade. But he wasn't saved. And during that 345 00:30:31,799 --> 00:30:40,649 week of the revival, he died in a lake. Drowned. He drowned. And 346 00:30:40,649 --> 00:30:43,969 they couldn't find his body. And they wanted to recover his body. 347 00:30:43,969 --> 00:30:49,889 So they hired divers, paid like $400. This was way back in the 348 00:30:49,889 --> 00:30:52,369 30s. That would have been quite a bit of money in those days. 349 00:30:53,089 --> 00:30:59,249 Paid the divers $400 and they found the body. They had a funeral. 350 00:31:00,689 --> 00:31:03,849 The preacher looked down in that casket and called his name. 351 00:31:03,849 --> 00:31:08,609 He said, bob, if we had loved your soul like we loved your body, 352 00:31:08,609 --> 00:31:15,729 you probably wouldn't be in hell today. We spent $400 to find 353 00:31:15,729 --> 00:31:20,609 him, but we didn't spend a penny on your soul. Think that might 354 00:31:20,609 --> 00:31:26,929 have got people's attention? I know that's not a happy ending, but 355 00:31:26,929 --> 00:31:32,549 I'm talking about travail. Being bothered enough to wrestle 356 00:31:32,549 --> 00:31:39,789 with God and pray through. Pray until God gives you confidence 357 00:31:40,349 --> 00:31:45,589 and God gives you a peace. I'll take care of it. May not be 358 00:31:45,589 --> 00:31:53,069 in the exact day you want it or the exact way you want it, but 359 00:31:53,069 --> 00:31:58,629 God answers prayer, the travail. Think of that, and we'll 360 00:31:58,629 --> 00:32:03,269 have a closing. But think about the travail of Christ on the 361 00:32:03,269 --> 00:32:15,749 cross. Wow. Think about that. The songwriter said he could have 362 00:32:15,749 --> 00:32:25,429 called 10,000 angels, but he died alone. For you and me, the mockers 363 00:32:25,429 --> 00:32:29,629 all around them, they laughed. He saved everybody else, but he can't 364 00:32:29,629 --> 00:32:34,989 save himself. Well, that was true, even though it was the mockers 365 00:32:34,989 --> 00:32:38,349 that said it. He could have saved himself. But if he had saved 366 00:32:38,349 --> 00:32:43,189 himself, you and I would have never been saved. It was either them 367 00:32:43,189 --> 00:32:52,939 or him. And he who knew no sin became sin for us, Took the punishment, 368 00:32:53,659 --> 00:32:59,979 the full judgment. The wrath of God poured out on one single man 369 00:33:00,219 --> 00:33:06,139 named Jesus, the son of God. He knew something about travail. 370 00:33:07,019 --> 00:33:13,819 Amen. We had more time and we're out. But we'd read Isaiah 53. 371 00:33:14,299 --> 00:33:18,619 You ever heard people say, well, why do bad things happen to 372 00:33:18,619 --> 00:33:22,419 good people? You ever heard that saying? You thought it? Probably. 373 00:33:23,539 --> 00:33:27,779 Well, let me tell you something. It only happened one time 374 00:33:28,659 --> 00:33:33,699 because There was only one good. Bad things happened to Jesus 375 00:33:33,699 --> 00:33:38,339 because he was good. He was perfect. He was righteous, flawless. 376 00:33:39,059 --> 00:33:49,009 I find no fault in him. And yet he suffered. But what about you? 377 00:33:49,009 --> 00:33:52,489 I'm talking about your life. And how would that word fit into 378 00:33:52,489 --> 00:33:57,249 your mind right now and into your heart? Travail, say, well, maybe 379 00:33:57,569 --> 00:34:02,609 I've been there a few times, but it might been a while since you 380 00:34:03,169 --> 00:34:08,609 travailed, since you prayed. Almost like a woman in labor trying 381 00:34:08,609 --> 00:34:14,869 to give birth to a child. You women can understand that a lot better 382 00:34:14,869 --> 00:34:18,069 than us men. But I think you men know what I'm trying to say. 383 00:34:21,029 --> 00:34:27,029 We get ahold of prayer and prayer gets ahold of us. Remember 384 00:34:28,229 --> 00:34:36,759 Jacob wrestling? He said, I'll not let you go. I'll not let you 385 00:34:36,759 --> 00:34:44,679 go until you bless me. Amen. I don't know if you read the text I 386 00:34:44,679 --> 00:34:49,559 sent you this week, very short, very brief, but I ask you 387 00:34:49,559 --> 00:34:55,839 to maybe consider maybe a time of fasting. If you can't fast a whole 388 00:34:55,839 --> 00:35:02,648 day, maybe one meal or half a day, just get along with God instead 389 00:35:02,648 --> 00:35:08,648 of eating and pray for the church and for the vote. That's coming 390 00:35:08,648 --> 00:35:15,408 up here pretty quick. You think you might consider that? I 391 00:35:15,408 --> 00:35:18,608 already have and I'm going to do some more. And I'm not patting 392 00:35:18,608 --> 00:35:23,848 myself on the back, I'm just asking. You might want to consider 393 00:35:23,848 --> 00:35:28,248 that some of you have to take a lot of medication and so you can't 394 00:35:28,248 --> 00:35:32,888 go without a meal. You have to take your medicine with meals. And 395 00:35:32,888 --> 00:35:36,728 God knows that God never asked you to do something you couldn't 396 00:35:36,728 --> 00:35:43,248 do. But maybe at least you could find a little space of time 397 00:35:44,288 --> 00:35:48,168 and get along with God. Would you bow your head and stand to your 398 00:35:48,168 --> 00:35:55,569 feet, please, for just a moment? We're almost through. We 399 00:35:55,569 --> 00:35:58,689 give you an opportunity to just come and maybe you'd like to 400 00:35:58,689 --> 00:36:03,249 kneel before God and say, lord, I just need more revival in 401 00:36:03,249 --> 00:36:06,609 my prayer. They're getting kind of flat. They're getting kind 402 00:36:06,609 --> 00:36:10,569 of like some leftover food that been in the refrigerator too 403 00:36:10,569 --> 00:36:16,809 long. Maybe God's touched your heart about praying for revival or 404 00:36:17,449 --> 00:36:22,019 praying for the lost or travailing for your church or for 405 00:36:22,019 --> 00:36:26,259 a loved one in your family that's not saved. I don't know. I'm 406 00:36:26,259 --> 00:36:30,859 just ask you to think about it and you can pray where you're standing. 407 00:36:30,859 --> 00:36:34,259 But I'm gonna ask you if you felt led to come pray a minute or 408 00:36:34,259 --> 00:36:37,619 two and go back to your seat. Heavenly Father, I pray you would 409 00:36:37,619 --> 00:36:42,059 touch our hearts. We need your touch desperately. Lord, deliver 410 00:36:42,059 --> 00:36:47,309 us from just being mediocre Christians, just doing what most 411 00:36:47,309 --> 00:36:51,429 Christians do. Lord, I pray you might get ahold of the hearts 412 00:36:51,429 --> 00:36:58,549 of some men and women in my own heart about this matter. And 413 00:36:58,549 --> 00:37:02,869 Lord, I pray that we can see some victories won and some great 414 00:37:02,869 --> 00:37:06,309 things begin to happen because somebody prayed. And Lord, most of 415 00:37:06,309 --> 00:37:10,989 the time we don't even know who they are. We will. At the judgment 416 00:37:10,989 --> 00:37:15,009 day. We will. When we receive rewards, people will be called up 417 00:37:15,009 --> 00:37:20,649 and rewarded for their ministry of prayer. But Lord, all 418 00:37:20,649 --> 00:37:23,649 of us can pray more. And I pray that you would bless this invitation. 419 00:37:24,209 --> 00:37:27,489 In Jesus name I ask it. Amen.