I praise the Lord. And I was thinking today about this meeting. There was a time that when I came to this meeting and I would say, thank God that we’re able to have this meeting again. The church, I want to say something to you tonight. Now, it’s very necessary that we have this meetings. This kind of meeting is a must now. And thank you, church, that you’re still doing this after all the years. I praise the Lord for that. Because after I retired, I’ve been able to preach in several different churches. And I see more and more the need for God to move. And it’s very important that you and I understand that. Folks, listen, we’re the only hope the world has ever had. But I’m going to tell you something more so today than ever. They need God’s people to step up and be what God wants us to be and shine the light in this dark world. There has been such a change take place in this world. You understand that. You see it every day. God’s people are not what they used to be. And that breaks my heart. God’s people are not concerned about the things we used to be concerned about. And I didn’t say you, I said we used to be concerned about. And God wants us to wake up. So I pray that God will give us something in these days. He did last night. He was so kind, isn’t he so gracious? Isn’t he so good? I mean, listen, I want to read a verse to you here in just a minute, but I just want to praise Him. Just a minute. I just love to praise the Lord because he’s worthy. We deserve nothing. I’m telling you folks, at our best we’re a mess, but at his worst, he’s wonderful. God is so good and I praise Him tonight. If you want to turn in your Bibles, isaiah, chapter 40. Isaiah, chapter 40. And I want to say again, thank you, PAX branch Chester. Is it not on? I’m going to tell you, young man, I’ve gained weight. And since I’ve gained weight, I can’t see that light on this.
We’re on contact. Oh, yeah, that sounds better. I noticed that some time back you notice when whatever it is lapse over the life. That’s what happens when you begin to gain weight. So isaiah, chapter 40. If you would turn there tonight, and I want to look at just a few verses, I say a chapter 40, verse number 25. God asked this question. I love it. To whom then will you like in me or shall I be equal? We are people of comparison. Yes, we do that. You see a lady and you say, man, she’s pretty. You know why you said that? Because you’ve seen an ugly one.
Comparative. I mean, that’s what we do. You go to a restaurant and you say, Man, I like that. You know why you like that because you’ve eaten some you didn’t like. We compare and we do that, man, he’s a good Christian. Or they’re this or that. And we do that because we compare and we understand that there’s those that are not, and we do that. But you know what? There’s not one that you can compare God to. Not one. Isaiah recorded. To whom then? Will you liken me? Or shall I be equal? Watch this. Saith the Holy One. When God speaks, we need to listen. Since I retired from Pastor and I told Brother McBride today and I’ve told many people, I guess I’m learning as much or more now than ever did. God’s speaking to me, and he’s showing me just how important he is. I think that’s where we miss the boat. Sometimes we try to be something and don’t realize that he is something. He is so mighty. No wonder that he’s recorded as the all mighty God. He is, and he cares about us. When I think about myself and I know myself better than anyone else, and when I think about myself, it just shows me more and more how big God really is and how loving he really is, that he loves me. Amen. He loves you. And you know what? He died for you. Sometimes in church we think, boy, God died for us all. Yes, he did. But he died for you. We are one of that all. Thank God he did. I want you to watch this. You know what? I’ve learned something else. Brother, Sam Vans. He understands this. Some of you are getting there. I ain’t going to mention any other names, but some of you are getting there. I love it. Yes, I have pains. I’m getting old, but, oh, it’s so wonderful. You know, when you’re younger and you mess up, they look at you and say, man, you messed up now. You know what to do. Oh, bless his heart, he’s getting old. I mean, you think about it. That’s what we do. And it’s such an advantage if you mess up and you wonder and you do all these kinds of things, it’s such a blessing. They just say, you’re getting old. So I know you’re going to say that, so we’ll manage anyhow. Okay? Verse 26. Lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things that bringeth out their hosts by number. He calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power. Not one falleth or phaleth faileth. God said, just in case that you missed it in verse 25, I want to reemphasize who I am, just in case. And I want to say something to you tonight. I am greatly burdened for our younger generation. There was a time I’ve worked in Christian schools. Years back, I used to work in two or three different Christian schools. And in those days, I thought, these Christian schools are good and I’m not one that has preached about Christian education as far as that goes, but I will. Now, I’m going to tell you something, folks. We better start thinking about getting their children out of the public education. They are teaching things, and the world has gone so far from God. I’m going to show you this. I saw this example years ago, and I’m going to show you, and I hope you understand what’s happening in our world today. The church used to be here and the world here. So the world became more wicked and said, we’re going to move. We’re too close to the church. So they moved. And the church looked and said, look at the distance between us and the world. We can move here and still be as far from the world as we was. So the world saw that the church had moved closer. So they said, well, we’re too close again. We’re going to have to move again. And they did. And the church said, look, we can move again. And they did. You see where they are now? See where we’ve come? The church is now where the world used to be. We have adopted what the world has put in front of us and we’ve allowed ourselves to forget what is important and where we should be with the Lord. It’s so important. As I said, the public school is teaching our children and our grandchildren things that they don’t need to know. I am so amazed. I have a daughter that teaches in Christian school. I have two daughters. Both of them work in Christian school. But I have found out over the years, even in Christian schools, how much difference it is that it used to be. The things that these kids listen, I’m telling you, five year old kids amaze me now, they know more than I knew when I was 20 years old. I mean, it’s true. Where did they find that out? They found that out in public school. They were taught that. And you listen to me. You say, well, we in the home. We’re trying to teach them right? Thank God. You ought to be. That’s what the Bible tells us in Deuteronomy. He tells us, teach them when you’re at your house, when you sat in the house, when you eat and all that. You ought to be teaching your children about God. But I’m going to tell you something, and I don’t mean to preach on Christian education, but I am, so God must want me to. I’m telling you, it’s time we that are saved by the grace of God realize if we don’t save this generation, if we don’t get this generation folks, listen, when we pass off the scene, it’s over, it’s done. You say, oh, somebody will pick up the mantle if we don’t train somebody, if we don’t teach somebody who God really is and what he’s done for us, how he saved our soul, how he changed our life, how he set our feet on a solid rock and established our going. If we don’t teach them that, the world won’t. I promise you that. And it’s time we realize these are precious commodities. They’re not just anybody. They’re precious commodities that God gave to us that are saved by the grace of God. And it’s very important that we teach them who God really is and what he really means and what he wants to do in a dark world. You listen to me this tonight, folks. This don’t take God by surprise. God knew. And by the way, we sometimes say, well, I can’t believe it’s happening. Hey, God said it would happen. He said, evil men and seducures shall whacks worse and worse. It’s happening right before our very eyes. It’s time that the church of the living God woke up and came alive again and got fired on fire for God, like it used to be. It’s time we went to sleep too early. Jesus said, Occupy till I come, not till you think I’m coming. I know, I believe with all my heart the Lord’s coming. It one surprised me a bit. You know what, brother McBride? I’ve been praying. I thought about this year a while back. Every time I do a graveside service now, I’ve been praying for several months now. Oh, Lord, come tonight, right now. Can you imagine? You’re there preaching a graveside service and all of a sudden that casket bursts open. I want the Lord to do that. I’m hoping he’ll do that for me one day. I don’t know that he will, but I’m hoping that he will. But he will one day. He’s coming and don’t get used to that. Don’t get used to hearing preachers preach the Lord’s coming and think, well, yeah, I’ve heard that a lot. He’s coming, friend. You may have heard it a lot, but he’s coming. When you least think it’s going to happen there you’ll be just like that. I’ve heard it said, well, I want to kick the devil one more time. If you can do it that quick, you can do it. That’s how quick you’re leaving here. Won’t be time to get right then, friend. You better get right now. Okay. See, I told you. I have a tendency to wander now, but it’s good anyhow. I like it. I want to look at something else. Watch this in verse 28 hast thou not known, hast thou not heard that thee everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faintest not, neither is weary? Oh, how that excites me. You see, I’ve noticed that I have a tendency to get tired a lot quicker now than I used to. I don’t have the energy that I used to have. I can’t even run like I used to run. I can’t do the things I used to do. But when I read that verse, he’s not tired, he don’t faint. He don’t even get weary. He’s God. I want to tell you. You know what he is? He’s a consistent God. We’re not. We’re inconsistent at our best. It amazes me. I want to do right. I want to do what God wants me to do, but sometimes I don’t. The song says, and I think it’s so true. Prone to wonder, lord, I feel it and that is so true. The songwriter knew that we are apt to do that wonder. But notice God says he feigneth not neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. You say I know God. Do you? Do you? Yeah, I know him. Do you really? He just said there’s no searching of his understanding. You know what that means? He’s bigger than we are. He’s more powerful than we are. He’s all knowing. Now, I’ve met some people that thought they knew it all. You have too. But God does know it all. He’s all knowing. He’s no searching of his understanding. Now, I don’t even know what time I started, but what time I’m supposed to eat, but I’ll quit in a minute. We’re good? You ain’t going nowhere. Nowhere but to work in the morning, so you got time anyhow. Notice this? He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might, he increase the strength. Even the youth shall feign and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall. But they who is that? Who is that? That’s the saved. They that wait upon the Lord. Now, I will say something to you tonight. That verse is not exactly what we might think it is. Waiting upon the Lord is not quitting on the Lord. Waiting upon the Lord is not sitting back and doing nothing. Waiting on the Lord. Watch what he says. They that wait upon the Lord shall don’t miss that word. I love the King James Bible. Shall I like that word? You know what that word means? Without any doubt at all. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. While you’re waiting, you’re growing stronger. Because as we wait on him, we’re waiting for Him to direct us to where he wants us to be, what he wants us to do, and where he wants us to do it. We’re waiting on his direction. But while we’re waiting, if we’re following God, like we all do, we’re gaining strength all the time. So that when God does say, this is it. This is what I want you to do. This is what you’ve been waiting for. You’ll be strong enough to do it and watch it. He said, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. I want to ask you something tonight. Are you soaring with eagles or are you flying with pigeons? If you are waiting on the Lord and depending on him and looking to him for the answers, then you will receive them. You can fly with the eagles. I love the story of eagles. An eagle is an amazing bird. They can fly real high. They really can. A mother eagle builds her nest high up in the rocks. When it comes time, when those little eaglets get old enough to fly, that mother eagle sometimes has to make it where they want to fly. Because, you see, they’re a lot like a lot of us. They get used to the nest. They get used to mama eagle taking care of that. So there comes the day that it’s time for them to fly. They must begin to fly themselves. And that mother eagle starts getting them out of the nest. She starts throwing the padding in the nest out so it will become uncomfortable to them. And she then encourages them to fly. If there’s one that don’t want to go out of the nest, mother eagle will push that little eaglet out of the nest. And, oh, so many people think today, well, that’s kind of cruel. What if that little eagle can’t fly? May I tell you something? Mama eagle can fly a lot faster than that baby can fall. And if she has to, she’ll catch it before it hits the ground. But you see, friends, there comes a time to fly. There comes a time as we wait upon the Lord, wait for his instruction in what it is he’s bringing us to and where he’s leading us. We’re gaining strength, but then we begin to fly. There comes a time that we’re going to fly. Instead of staying in the nest, God’s, people need to start soaring. God’s people need to start flying. They shall. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Listen, friend, what God said in Isaiah, Chapter 40, he said this simply. And I’m going to give you a simple answer to what he said. You can do it, but you can’t do it without him. And if you’ll wait on him, not only can you do it, you will do it. Father, thank you so much for your word. I appreciate the opportunity to preach tonight. Thank you for helping me, God. I can’t do it without you. Never could, never will. But, Lord, I thank you for helping me tonight. And I pray that something I said will touch somebody’s heart and help us, Lord, truly to wait on you, look to you, get strong in you and then fly like we ought to fly. And we’ll praise you for all you do, for we ask it in Christ’s name. Amen.