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Again this afternoon.

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It's good to have Brother
Danny Morrow, the pastor of the Fundamental

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Baptist Church in Springtown, Texas.

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Brother Danny and Ms.

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Claudia were again charter
members here at the church.

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Brother Morrow, if I remember
right, I believe I do.

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Taught our first, well, adult class.

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He taught the main class when
we first started in the storefront

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and fulfilled many other roles
as well as Ms.

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Claudia did as well.

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And appreciate them and their family.

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What a blessing, an amazing
blessing their family has been to

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our family.

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And lots of stories I could tell.

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And if he decides to say
anything, he can.

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But, Brother Mara, you come
on, you preach to us this afternoon.

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Thank you, my man.

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Well, I want to just say thank
you for allowing me to be here today.

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Brother Crawford said
something while ago, about 24 years.

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Honey, I don't want to break
your heart or anything, but I've

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got socks older than that now.

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Thank you so much again for
the opportunity to be here today.

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Being out here brings back so
many different memories.

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Memories of when this was just
a plot of land.

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Big dreams and even bigger
prayer brings all of this to this.

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It was a lot of work.

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And that work has maintained
and this church, this service has

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maintained and kept.

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Kept that location, kept that
word and had God and had the Lord

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Jesus Christ and had a man
that was set to have a wonderful

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church, which he has developed.

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You know, we have known the
Crawfords for What, close to 30 years?

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It's hard to believe, but back
then I was younger than him, so he's

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grown up a little bit.

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I am reminded of Joseph when
he said, fear not, for am I in the

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place of God.

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But as for you, ye sought evil
against me, but God meant God meant

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it to be good, to bring to pass.

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And it is this day that he
saved much people alive.

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Genesis 50, verses 19 and 20.

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Now, this is not my message in
any way.

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This is just kind of a starter.

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I am reminded of Joseph and
what he has accomplished.

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It is exciting to see how God
has used Brother Crawford and has

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blessed him and in turn, has
blessed this church.

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I love.

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I love this man.

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First time I ever saw him, I
thought, oh, no, just another kid.

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But he proved me wrong.

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I love this man, and I'm
honored that he would even bother

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to call.

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But I'm glad he did.

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Now, if you'll open your
Bibles to the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel

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22.

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We will pray before we read
God's word.

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Our Heavenly Father, we do
come to you this morning, and we're

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so grateful and thankful for
the many things that you've given

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unto us this as a church.

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It is a wonderful thing to see
and to see so much of something that

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has developed over a period of
time because of a man that had an

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ambition, because of a man
that knew what needed to be done,

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and he did it.

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And I'm so grateful that he
would even bother to call me, but.

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But I'm so elated, so happy
that he did.

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In Christ's name we pray.

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Amen.

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Let's look at Ezekiel 22,
verses 23 through 30.

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And the word of the Lord came
unto me, saying, son of man, say

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unto her, thou art the land
that is not cleansed, nor rained

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upon it in the day of indignation.

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There is a conspiracy of her
prophets in the midst thereof, like

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a roaring lion ravaging the
prey, they have devoured souls.

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They have taken the treasure
and opened things that they made

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that they had.

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They have made her many widows
in the midst thereof.

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Her priests are violent my
law, and have profaned mine Holy

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things.

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They have put no difference
between the holy and the profane.

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Neither have they showed
difference between the unclean and

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the clean.

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Have laid their eyes from the
Sabbath, and I am profaned among

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them.

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Her princes.

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Her princes in the midst
thereof are like wolves ravaging

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for ravaging, for ravaging the prey.

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Excuse me, I'm a little.

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I'm a little nervous, but I'm
going to do my best here.

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All right.

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Like wolves ravaging the prey
to shed blood and to destroy souls

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to get honest gain.

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And her prophets have dubbed
them with untempered mortar, seeing

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vanity and divining lies with
them, saying, thus saith the Lord

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God, when the Lord hath not
spoken the pekal, the people of the

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land, have used oppression and wrongfully.

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And I sought of a man among
them that should make up the hedge

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and stand in the gap before me
for the land, and I should not destroy

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it.

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But I found none.

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God makes a stunning statement
in these verses.

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There is one left to stand in
the gap, one more to stand in the

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gap of Israel.

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Just one.

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That's what God is saying here.

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What does this passage tell us
about the shortcoming of the people,

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the people of God and the
prophets of God.

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In that day, the corruption
within Jerusalem made judgment inevitable.

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If we read the whole chapter,
we would see specific sins that are

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mentioned.

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Sins such as idolatry, misuse
of power, a lack of respect, neglect

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of widows and orphans,
destination of the sabbath, incest,

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bribery.

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There's sins everywhere you
look any direction, whichever turn

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you make there's sin there.

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Throughout the chapter that
we've just read, there is reference

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to the violence that filled
the city.

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The violence and the shedding
of innocent blood.

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Let's look at verse 26 and 28
one more time.

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Her priests have violated my
law and have profaned mine holy things.

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They have put no difference
between the holy and the profane.

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Neither have they showed
differences between the unclean and

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the clean, and have hid their
eyes from my Sabbath, and I am profaned

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among them.

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And her prophets have daubed
them with untempered mortar, seeing

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vanity and divining lies unto
them, saying, thus saith the Lord,

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when the Lord hath not spoken.

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Hmm.

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Put words in somebody's mouth.

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And God didn't say that these
priests fell to instruct the people

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in the law and how they showed
no difference between the holy and

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the profane.

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Definition of profane is
disrespect toward sacred things.

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Disrespect toward sacred things.

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These false prophets also
proclaimed lies in the name of the

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Lord.

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False prophets, and they were
telling, teaching, speaking things

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that just weren't true.

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Lies in the name of the Lord.

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Sound familiar?

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Doesn't sounds a lot like what
is going on in many of the churches

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in our country today.

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What Ezekiel tells us here is
that religious knowledge and authority,

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that's no guarantee of faithfulness.

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This definitely includes some
of today's pastors, ministers, and

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those in religious authority
in some way or another.

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There's lots that's going in
in different directions.

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That's not following God's
word, but they're working in the

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middle of it anyway.

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A couple of examples of this
kind of leader are the fact that

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many of our pastors and
ministers, they are more concerned

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with pleasing people than they
are pleasing God.

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We think, we sit here, stand
here, and we think, well, why do

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we need to have God?

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Why do we need to please God?

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God pleases everything.

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He is the pleaser, and he
wants us to be a pleaser too.

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If we avoid God, we want to
stay away from those decisions about

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making people pleasers or not.

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I'll always say, be on God's side.

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Do what God says.

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God's word that he has given
unto us.

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We look upon a lot of times
with, what does that say?

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Well, it says a lot if you'll
just listen to it or read it.

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It's a good thing.

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Many religious leaders,
they're more capable, more willing

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to please people than to
please God.

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I said that twice because it
needed to be said.

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God's people needs to be
holding hands, hand in hand, and

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wanting to please God more
than pleasing people.

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It may be that the pastor
feels his job is in jeopardy, or

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one of these pastors that may
be in need of treading lightly or

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certain truths, or
congregations that may get angry

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at him, with him.

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Don't worry about the people
so much.

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Of course we want to love
them, care for them, care for you,

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provide for you in any means
that we can.

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But God says, first, take
care, don't get angry.

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And these pastors, they were
people pleasers.

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And also I think they were,
could be titled king pleasers.

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Now, another example of this
is that in our nation, people, people

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in our nation, we don't have a king.

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We don't.

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We don't have a king.

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But the principle of the fact
is the same.

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Back in Ezekiel's day, the
priest might have wanted to say whatever

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was going to make the king happy.

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It didn't mean, didn't seem to
mean to the people of the world that

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they wasn't so concerned about
what God wanted.

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They were more concerned about
what the king wanted.

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The king is not going to save you.

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The king is not going to take
you into heaven.

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And we don't even have a king,
but we certainly don't need him.

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So when, you know, the king
wants a certain thing, they want

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to prove that God will just
happen and it will be the same as

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the king.

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Instead of looking and seeing
and having God's word at your fingertips

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and not reading and looking
and being a part of it, they have

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their eyes on wanting to
please the king.

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And they're not so, you know,
they're not so compared with what

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God wants them to do.

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Well, again, I say America
needs a God.

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America does not lead.

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A king does not need a king.

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But thanks be unto God, we
have a God.

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And as we follow him and
things develop, good, good things

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will start.

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I can remember years ago we
used to have on Halloween some games

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and candies and all of that
that was taking place, I think probably

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on this piece of ground right here.

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It wasn't too far away.

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And we brought our grandkids
over here and our kids, and it was

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a ball.

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It was fun.

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But that being as it is,
greater things prevailed, greater

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things worked, more people
appeared and more of God and more

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of God's word and more of
God's authority set in place and

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all took well.

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If they see that certain
things gets approval from powerful

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people, they figure out ways
to make that God's will so that it

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elevates them.

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This is again the leaders, the
so called kings.

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They want to build themselves
up and the people below him.

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He just loves to hear people
pat him on the back and praise him

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and tell him about what
wonderful things that he's accomplished

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when he hasn't accomplished anything.

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It's God's word.

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It is God's word.

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It is God's way.

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And it's our, our work to be
able to share what God has given

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unto us.

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Let's don't hide it.

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Let's let somebody else hear it.

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Let's let somebody else know
what it looks like, what it feels

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like.

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This is what God has done for us.

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These people convince
themselves that anything that brings

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in more people and more
tithes, that's got to be God's will.

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I don't think God's cared much
about money.

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He cares about those people.

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But tithes and offerings are
good to support the church.

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But God don't care.

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00:18:57,495 --> 00:18:58,859
He don't need it.

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And he's all there for us.

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We care.

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00:19:06,679 --> 00:19:08,419
We care for ourselves.

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00:19:09,639 --> 00:19:14,319
I walked in that lunch room
just a little bit ago and the first

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00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:20,889
thing that caught my eye was
these babies and the moms and the

247
00:19:20,929 --> 00:19:23,385
dads that were holding those babies.

248
00:19:23,577 --> 00:19:29,753
I was flabbergasted because
that mama and dad that was holding

249
00:19:29,801 --> 00:19:38,389
that baby, I was holding them
back in the day, you know it.

250
00:19:39,649 --> 00:19:42,989
And they look so much like
their mom and dad.

251
00:19:43,989 --> 00:19:46,045
You thought I was gonna say
something ugly.

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00:19:46,237 --> 00:19:48,797
No, they were beautiful.

253
00:19:48,893 --> 00:19:52,329
Just like their parents were
and like their parents still are.

254
00:19:52,709 --> 00:19:54,409
And God bless them.

255
00:19:55,029 --> 00:20:00,189
One has his headquarters right
down the road.

256
00:20:00,309 --> 00:20:04,849
One of these persons, one of
these people, one of these churches

257
00:20:05,189 --> 00:20:09,741
that gain and have
headquarters and the things that

258
00:20:09,765 --> 00:20:12,085
they teach and the way that
they teach it.

259
00:20:12,277 --> 00:20:16,389
One has a headquarters just
right down the road in Newark.

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00:20:16,549 --> 00:20:20,357
And then there's a mega church
in Houston that seem to work along

261
00:20:20,413 --> 00:20:21,769
that same pattern.

262
00:20:22,589 --> 00:20:29,729
More concerned with what
unfolds for the people.

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00:20:30,109 --> 00:20:37,509
And they kind of forget God,
remember what God is, Remember what,

264
00:20:37,629 --> 00:20:43,009
where God is, what we can do,
what we need to have for him.

265
00:20:43,309 --> 00:20:49,289
That makes a totally different
deliverance in a church.

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00:20:53,149 --> 00:21:02,469
Trying to be nice now,
whenever we feel uncertain, do we

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00:21:02,509 --> 00:21:09,479
go to a human being, somebody
that we just happen to meet and try

268
00:21:09,519 --> 00:21:12,339
to talk to them and let them
help you.

269
00:21:12,959 --> 00:21:18,551
Why don't you try just one or
two times when it gets time to go

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00:21:18,575 --> 00:21:25,239
to bed, get down on your knees
and pray and see how much which one

271
00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:26,739
works the best.

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00:21:27,759 --> 00:21:35,869
And got this little habit that
I've used for several years.

273
00:21:36,249 --> 00:21:43,809
We've got a Cement patio out
there and a table and nice soft chairs,

274
00:21:43,969 --> 00:21:45,313
and it's my.

275
00:21:45,481 --> 00:21:46,589
I love.

276
00:21:47,689 --> 00:21:53,489
Whenever I get out of bed, the
first thing I do is I'll get my Bible

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00:21:53,649 --> 00:21:54,341
and the.

278
00:21:54,425 --> 00:21:57,889
Well, I'll go outside and I'll pray.

279
00:21:58,629 --> 00:22:01,453
I pray for our church.

280
00:22:01,581 --> 00:22:05,885
I pray for those that are
members of our church that are having

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00:22:05,957 --> 00:22:07,729
struggles and problems.

282
00:22:08,149 --> 00:22:15,005
And I just take whatever time
it takes for me to listen, to pray

283
00:22:15,197 --> 00:22:16,129
to God.

284
00:22:16,709 --> 00:22:21,729
And then as time goes on, I
make it a habit.

285
00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:29,311
I pray unto the Lord God on a
daily basis on the patio with the

286
00:22:29,335 --> 00:22:32,259
light on, with just me and Gus.

287
00:22:32,759 --> 00:22:34,339
Gus is my dog.

288
00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:36,959
He.

289
00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:39,859
He begs a lot, but he's okay.

290
00:22:40,759 --> 00:22:43,859
But I love going out on the patio.

291
00:22:44,759 --> 00:22:45,791
Sun's not up.

292
00:22:45,815 --> 00:22:46,885
It's still dark.

293
00:22:47,047 --> 00:22:53,449
I turned that light on, and I
do a lot of talking, and God does

294
00:22:53,489 --> 00:22:59,189
a lot of listening, and he's
got room for it, and he hears us.

295
00:23:00,609 --> 00:23:07,389
Ezekiel 22:30 is kind of the
main point of my message tonight,

296
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this evening, whatever it is.

297
00:23:10,529 --> 00:23:14,819
And I sought for a man among
them that should make.

298
00:23:14,939 --> 00:23:20,439
That should make up the hedge
and stand in the gap.

299
00:23:21,099 --> 00:23:25,123
They're looking for a man that
will stand in the gap.

300
00:23:25,251 --> 00:23:30,483
The gap is the point between
two walls.

301
00:23:30,531 --> 00:23:31,719
It's like a door.

302
00:23:33,739 --> 00:23:36,479
And who's going to be there to
tend it?

303
00:23:36,859 --> 00:23:37,799
Nobody.

304
00:23:39,989 --> 00:23:44,429
I sought a man among them that
should make up the hedge and stand

305
00:23:44,549 --> 00:23:48,589
in the gap to be the one that
says, no, you don't need to go this

306
00:23:48,629 --> 00:23:48,829
way.

307
00:23:48,869 --> 00:23:55,689
Go that way before me for the
land that I should not destroy it.

308
00:23:55,989 --> 00:23:58,049
But I found none.

309
00:23:58,469 --> 00:24:00,089
Ezekiel was looking.

310
00:24:01,589 --> 00:24:05,751
He sought to find a man, but
he couldn't find one.

311
00:24:05,935 --> 00:24:07,459
There wasn't one available.

312
00:24:08,879 --> 00:24:12,199
He says here at the end of
that verse 30.

313
00:24:12,319 --> 00:24:14,311
But I found none.

314
00:24:14,455 --> 00:24:18,967
There wasn't anybody that he
could find that would work in that

315
00:24:19,023 --> 00:24:19,619
position.

316
00:24:20,079 --> 00:24:25,975
We've got too many churches
that don't have men that will fill

317
00:24:26,007 --> 00:24:27,179
up that gap.

318
00:24:29,929 --> 00:24:37,949
The average American church is
far from what it should be and not

319
00:24:38,249 --> 00:24:41,349
able to stand in the gap.

320
00:24:41,929 --> 00:24:43,105
They want to be here.

321
00:24:43,177 --> 00:24:45,089
They want to be part of it.

322
00:24:45,129 --> 00:24:46,641
They want to have a good lunch.

323
00:24:46,785 --> 00:24:48,641
They want to have all of that.

324
00:24:48,825 --> 00:24:52,225
But first off, fill the gap.

325
00:24:52,417 --> 00:24:57,239
Take what God has given unto
us, and let God take control.

326
00:24:57,939 --> 00:24:58,907
I wish.

327
00:24:59,083 --> 00:25:00,635
I wish, wish.

328
00:25:00,747 --> 00:25:01,679
I pray.

329
00:25:02,179 --> 00:25:08,299
I pray more and more and more
that people would take what God has

330
00:25:08,339 --> 00:25:13,439
extended instead of doing it
and having it for their own selves.

331
00:25:14,419 --> 00:25:20,843
We see many religious leaders
in America saying that the current

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00:25:20,931 --> 00:25:27,299
goal of the American church
should be to regain political power

333
00:25:28,079 --> 00:25:29,899
instead of influence.

334
00:25:30,559 --> 00:25:36,299
Which would you rather have
Political power or influence?

335
00:25:37,279 --> 00:25:38,019
Ha.

336
00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:41,379
You know the answer to that question.

337
00:25:42,079 --> 00:25:46,311
That is not and never was
supposed to be the purpose of the

338
00:25:46,335 --> 00:25:46,939
church.

339
00:25:47,369 --> 00:25:51,069
The church wasn't here for that.

340
00:25:51,529 --> 00:25:54,389
The church was here on behalf
of God.

341
00:25:56,009 --> 00:26:02,389
Our sole purpose should be
focused on winning souls.

342
00:26:03,209 --> 00:26:07,553
To take what God has given
unto us and share it with somebody

343
00:26:07,601 --> 00:26:08,229
else.

344
00:26:08,569 --> 00:26:13,309
That's the best thing you
could ever be able to do.

345
00:26:13,999 --> 00:26:21,767
You will receive rewards when
you reach heaven for what we have

346
00:26:21,823 --> 00:26:24,179
followed, for what we have done.

347
00:26:25,039 --> 00:26:31,015
Who will be the one to stand
in the gap for Israel and point them

348
00:26:31,087 --> 00:26:33,339
back toward God?

349
00:26:34,879 --> 00:26:37,219
The answer is a sad one.

350
00:26:38,319 --> 00:26:39,779
There was no one.

351
00:26:40,229 --> 00:26:42,529
There was no one to fill the gap.

352
00:26:43,349 --> 00:26:49,037
The wall was in despair
because there was no one who could

353
00:26:49,093 --> 00:26:51,969
lead the people back to God.

354
00:26:53,589 --> 00:26:56,909
It's shameful that they even
left God.

355
00:26:57,069 --> 00:27:01,149
But it is even worse whenever
we come to the point that we want

356
00:27:01,189 --> 00:27:04,329
to find somebody that would return.

357
00:27:05,779 --> 00:27:13,019
The wall was in despair
because there was no one who would

358
00:27:13,059 --> 00:27:15,599
lead the people back to God.

359
00:27:16,259 --> 00:27:19,439
That's our number one goal.

360
00:27:19,779 --> 00:27:25,115
Lead these people in this
community, in this world, in this

361
00:27:25,187 --> 00:27:25,799
country.

362
00:27:27,299 --> 00:27:34,023
Let them have that beautiful
gift that I'm sure most everybody

363
00:27:34,071 --> 00:27:37,063
in here obtains that they have.

364
00:27:37,231 --> 00:27:40,231
The fact that they have
accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as

365
00:27:40,255 --> 00:27:41,339
their savior.

366
00:27:41,999 --> 00:27:44,699
That is valuable.

367
00:27:46,079 --> 00:27:52,279
It's a horrible place to be
when you're not even ready and you

368
00:27:52,319 --> 00:27:55,111
don't even want to fill the gap.

369
00:27:55,255 --> 00:27:57,859
Somebody's got to do the work.

370
00:27:59,859 --> 00:28:00,919
There are.

371
00:28:02,099 --> 00:28:09,239
There's a few pastors like the
one you've got in a church like this.

372
00:28:10,739 --> 00:28:23,083
This church has stood
faithfully for 24 years, and it stands

373
00:28:23,211 --> 00:28:31,399
here and it stands in the gap
to lead others to Christ.

374
00:28:32,179 --> 00:28:33,599
That's the purpose.

375
00:28:34,019 --> 00:28:42,827
This is the work that we have
taken, is to take that task that

376
00:28:42,883 --> 00:28:50,949
God has presented unto us and
fill in that gap so that others can

377
00:28:50,989 --> 00:28:52,529
know about Christ.

378
00:28:53,149 --> 00:28:55,529
Standing in the gap is not easy.

379
00:28:56,109 --> 00:29:02,169
As a matter of fact, it can be
hard and it can be unpopular.

380
00:29:02,909 --> 00:29:06,689
But God needs someone to do it.

381
00:29:07,069 --> 00:29:11,349
There's somebody somewhere
that's got enough gumption to get

382
00:29:11,389 --> 00:29:13,249
up and do that job.

383
00:29:15,209 --> 00:29:15,857
By the way.

384
00:29:15,913 --> 00:29:16,989
You got one.

385
00:29:17,769 --> 00:29:20,385
Just take that for what it's worth.

386
00:29:20,497 --> 00:29:22,909
And it's worth quite a deal.

387
00:29:23,849 --> 00:29:30,017
Just as Moses stood in the gap
of Israel, Jesus stands in the gap

388
00:29:30,113 --> 00:29:31,229
for us.

389
00:29:31,849 --> 00:29:35,309
All we have to do is trust him.

390
00:29:35,849 --> 00:29:37,457
Him being God.

391
00:29:37,633 --> 00:29:39,549
That's who we're referring to.

392
00:29:40,819 --> 00:29:47,499
Just like in Ezekiel's day,
God is looking for individuals to

393
00:29:47,539 --> 00:29:55,079
stand in the gap today,
someone who can lead others to him.

394
00:29:55,859 --> 00:29:57,799
That is very important.

395
00:29:58,339 --> 00:30:01,979
The only way we can truly do.

396
00:30:02,019 --> 00:30:08,679
That is if we have accepted
Christ as our Savior and that we

397
00:30:08,719 --> 00:30:11,939
live a life that is pleasing
to him.

398
00:30:12,399 --> 00:30:16,619
Pleasing not to somebody else,
but pleasing to God.

399
00:30:17,359 --> 00:30:20,179
Please, God, with all your
heart and mind.

400
00:30:20,879 --> 00:30:27,539
And your life will be so
different and so good.

401
00:30:28,239 --> 00:30:38,389
Our time is getting short, so
let me here today during the invitation.

402
00:30:38,969 --> 00:30:47,297
If you have never trusted
Christ as your Savior, today would

403
00:30:47,353 --> 00:30:49,709
be a perfect time.

404
00:30:50,569 --> 00:30:55,441
We've got people sitting here
in these chairs that would love to

405
00:30:55,465 --> 00:31:01,817
be able to open God's word and
present unto you that special gift

406
00:31:01,993 --> 00:31:03,913
of the Lord Jesus Christ.

407
00:31:04,081 --> 00:31:07,909
And why and what would we do
if we should do that?

408
00:31:08,369 --> 00:31:11,389
Well, you could just live forever.

409
00:31:12,609 --> 00:31:14,229
That might help you along.

410
00:31:15,169 --> 00:31:16,429
Don't delay.

411
00:31:17,169 --> 00:31:22,729
That important decision to
where you will spend eternity is

412
00:31:22,769 --> 00:31:25,509
based upon the decision that
you make today.

413
00:31:26,269 --> 00:31:30,789
You can accept God, you can
accept the Lord Jesus Christ, or

414
00:31:30,829 --> 00:31:32,049
you can walk away.

415
00:31:33,389 --> 00:31:38,309
I want to live for an eternity
and I want everybody else to go with

416
00:31:38,349 --> 00:31:38,929
me.

417
00:31:40,269 --> 00:31:45,929
Buckle up, tighten up, fill up
the gap, and let's go to heaven.

418
00:31:46,589 --> 00:31:47,649
I'll close.

419
00:31:48,429 --> 00:31:51,409
My time is over.

420
00:31:52,249 --> 00:31:54,225
And I'm going to turn the
service over to Mr.

421
00:31:54,257 --> 00:31:54,913
Crawford.

422
00:31:55,041 --> 00:31:57,109
But I'm going to pray before I leave.

423
00:31:57,609 --> 00:31:58,409
Let's pray, please.