Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Host: You are now listening to an inspirational message from Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church where Dr. Michael W. Wesley Senior is the pastor. Please join the service in progress.

Guest (Male): Many times I'm treated so bad. And I think about I can't get a friend that I never had. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand. I can't make it by myself. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand. One more thing church. I'm going to continue to run. Even if I have to run alone. Because it's my determination to make it through my heart. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand. Right now, right now, right now. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand. Sometimes, I say hold me. Jesus. Hold me. Jesus. The reason why I want you to hold me. If you don't hold me, I will surely fall. Need your strength. Need your mercy, Lord. If you hold me, everything will be alright. Somebody need you to be a doctor. Somebody need you to be a lawyer. Somebody. They say hold me. They say hold me. Right now, Lord. Right now, Lord. Can I get a witness? Can I get one witness? The Hebrew boys. In a fire of furnace. Shout one time, hold me. And an awesome man. Can I get one more witness? Come here Job. It was sick so long. All of the flesh fell from Job. Can I get another witness? Two mean to live. Now fit to die. I say hold me. Jesus. Can't nobody do me like Jesus. Can't nobody do me like Jesus. I want him to rock me. Bring your heart up in my hand. I need him to rock me. And all of my hand. I say hold me. Jesus. Hold me. Jesus. And Lord you know that I'm your child. Lord I'm doing the best that I can. But while my way, it gets so down. Lord I just don't understand. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand. Right now, right now, right now. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand. Right now, right now, right now, right now. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand.

Host: Amen, amen. Somebody knows what it feels like to have Jesus hold your hand. Does anybody know what it feels like to have Jesus to hold your hand? He walks with you, he talks with you. And he'll hold you through every situation. Amen, amen. As we prepare for the word for the day, we will be hearing from none other than our illustrious Pastor Emeritus, the Reverend Dr. Michael Wesley Senior. Won't you all welcome him as he comes in the name of the Lord.

Guest (Male): Hold me. Jesus. Hold me. Jesus. Hold me. If you don't hold me, I will surely fall. Need your strength. Need your mercy, Lord. If you hold me, everything will be alright. Somebody need you to be a doctor. Somebody need you to be a lawyer. Jesus. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand. Right now, right now, right now, right now. Oh Lord. I need you to hold my hand.

Host: Yes. Lord, the whole my hand. I definitely need him to whole my hand. Amen. He have to hold me. Because I can't keep myself. I am so thankful and grateful for the opportunity and privilege to be with you again on this Lord's day and thank our pastor, Reverend James for extending the opportunity. Uh concluding my time uh here and um so I just wanted to just share a brief word this morning after we have prayed and uh we'll open the word of God together. And um let's see what the Lord has to say. Father, we thank you for loving us and blessing us. We thank you for the worship experience today. Thank you for your abiding presence all day long. From our earliest rising this morning to this very moment. And we pray that you would be with us continually throughout the day. Lord, we pray for the service that we are in. We thank you for the songs that have gone up, the scriptures that have been read, the prayers that have been offered to cover us. And now Lord, we need a word to help us to live. Lift again now your human out of self, fill us with the Holy Spirit. Speak to us and through us in this moment and bless not the words of our mouth and the meditations on our heart. That it may be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord, our strength and our redeemer. We ask it now in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Host: Want to take you this morning to the familiar words that's recorded in um Luke's gospel. Luke's gospel chapter 19 uh is where we want to look today. Uh I have a note around here somewhere, but that's all right. I'll worry about notes. I'll go ahead and look at them. But Luke's gospel chapter 19, first 10 verses. There is the word of God, building on what we heard earlier today. And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. Which was the chief among the publicans and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus, whom he was. And could not for the press because he was of little stature. And he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down. For today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord, behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I've taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house. For so much as he also is a son of Abraham. For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. This is the word of God for the people of God.

Host: I I want to put a tag on the text this morning and preach from the interrogative question. Why did Jesus come? Why did Jesus come? And and and the answer is is is is is easy. It's a simple answer. He he came to save me. He he came to get me out of trouble. He came to rescue me from darkness and bring me into the marvelous light. Now, I know I'm speaking about me, but I'm also speaking about you. But I can't speak for you, so you have to speak for yourself. He came because I needed to be saved. And how many know that that most of the real estate that we own, we paid the down payment on it. Most of the trouble that we find ourselves in, we we put the note down. Most of the issues that we have in life, we are singularly responsible. Now we can be like the president and blame everybody else, but the truth is, you and I own the real estate for which our lives is centered on. And so I don't know how it makes you feel, but I'm glad that Jesus came. I'm glad that he came because I too was lost in sin. On my way to hell, but the Lord lifted me up and he saved my soul and that I'm grateful. And you don't realize it as much until you see people pass away. And and and as you see people pass away, it becomes a stark reality that I am thankful that I have been saved. Do you you understand salvation in its three context or three tenses? I have been saved from the penalty of my sin. So I know I'm not going to hell. I don't care who want me to go. I ain't going. Because I've already been saved from the penalty of my sin. Every day that I live, I am being saved. What am I being saved from? From the power of sin to dominate my life and make a fool out of me. And in the future, when I do leave the earth, I shall be saved. What shall I be saved from? I shall be saved from the presence of sin. It won't be nothing in heaven that will mess me up. All of that will be left behind. Aren't you glad about it? Man, don't don't you understand that there won't be no sin in heaven? If if we could take our humanness to heaven, heaven would be just as messy as earth is. But because we won't be carrying our human natures to heaven, we shall be saved from the presence of sin. But but the text before us this morning brings it a little closer. In in case you think you are the exception. The the text helps us to take a look at the nuances of human life and we learn in the passage, how is it possible that a a young boy like me, growing up in a neighborhood church, could end up getting lost in this world. That's a deep question, isn't it? And it's a question many people ponder. How is it that a young boy, young girl, growing up in the church, singing in the youth choir, on the young deacon ministry and end up running drugs over at the high school? Or end up being the leader of the neighborhood gang. Or worse than that. You know, and I don't want to get into what those descriptives are. But the question is, how is it that a person can go from marching up the king's highway to becoming lost? And I think the narrative of this young man, Zacchaeus, in our text, can give us some insight as to how that can happen. First, we look at the natural characteristics of of the man in the text. The the the text says that that he was short in stature. Now, now, don't misunderstand, I'm not fixing to talk about short people. If if if you have looked at me from down there, you know that I'm not real tall. So I'm not talking about short people. But but I'm but I'm talking about people who sometimes have a a psychological malfunction to the point that they can't appreciate who they are. And what they bring to the table. And and and and that can that can mess people up. We we we we need to recognize that when God makes us, God makes us like he wants us to be. And and he doesn't make mistakes in how he has made us. But unfortunately, there are so many people who don't appreciate who God made them and they therefore try to become somebody that they were not designed to be. And whenever you leave the original design of God to try to become somebody that God didn't make you to be, oh you on your way. You you on your way. This this this boy was was short in stature. Now, you got to know that being short in stature can mess with folk. It can, man, that Zacchaeus probably as a young boy, young school-aged boy, probably was the brunt of a lot of folk jokes. And people can be cruel. People can be ugly. I don't I don't care what what your physical stature, you can be tall and everybody make fun of your height. You can be short and people can make fun of your your shortness. You can be you can be small and and framed just right and people will make fun of that. You can have long legs, skinny legs and people will talk about them. They can be bald and people will talk about them. They can be fat, they can whatever it is, people will make fun of you. And and and and and it can get next to you and cause you to want to do things to get back at folk. Oh, y'all gonna pray with me? All right, I'm gonna come your way. You gonna make me preach. So so so Zacchaeus being short in stature and having having gone through the pain of all of the kinds of things that people threw at him, he decided that he wanted a job that would give him respect. That would make people respect him. And and and so he took on a a franchise from the Roman government. And he became a tax collector. See, as a tax collector, everybody is gonna have to pass through the custom shop, pass through the taxation as they come in and out of the village that he lived in. And he lived in the city of Jericho. And Jericho was a major thoroughfare for the Jewish people when they came from Galilee on their way to Jerusalem, they would ultimately go down, cross the Jordan River, come up through Jericho, into to Bethany and then ultimately into Jerusalem. And when they came through Jericho, they would have to meet Mr. Zacchaeus. And and and and Zacchaeus wanted a job, baby, to make people respect him. They were going to have to call him Mr. Zacchaeus. Now, now, now, how many know that's a mistake? Whenever whenever you try to force people to respect you, it causes the table to be turned and resentment comes. They may call you Mr. Zacchaeus to your face. But behind your back, they will call you something else. Now, don't don't sit here this morning and look like nobody has ever said anything behind your back. Yes, they have. Deacon Jones with the roving eyes. She's Sally with the knock knees. Come on now, she's Susie with the short dress. Oh, they will talk behind your back. They will smile in your face. The boys used to sing about it. All the time, they want to take your place. They'll call backstabber. Somebody know who I'm talking about. But that comes because people have tried to force others into respect. And when you try to force people to respect, then it results in resentment. And although he took a job, working for the Roman government, working for himself, really. He also created a lot of hatred toward himself. He wanted to get people off of him about being short. And he wanted to make people respect him. But the text says one other thing about Zacchaeus. It says he was rich. How many young boys have messed up in life because they wanted to get paid? Man, we we had a boy funeral a couple of years ago. The boy got killed over in Legion Field. I'm sorry to say it. Hope his family not here today. But it's the truth. And they had the boy's funeral here. And they had a couple of his friends that were going to speak on his behalf. And the and the friend got up and and all he could say, man, my nigga, my nigga, my my nigga want want to get paid. My nigga want to get paid. My nigga want to get paid. Nobody heard nothing else he said. But that wasn't a that that he tried to say as if that was the sum total of the young man's life. Was that he was he wanted to get paid. And how many of our youth today have gone down the trail of ruining their lives because they only wanted to get paid? And and you can you can't hardly blame them. We're living in the in the most productive and successful society ever. When when you look at TV and you see the lives of the rich and the famous. And and and young boy grow up in your household and my household and they see us going to work every day and see us struggling, hardly making his meat. But we satisfied because we earned it. But they don't see that. And they go down the street and they see Fat Albert. And Fat Albert got chains around his neck. And every time he pull out his money, he got a big knot in his pocket. And all the boys see it and they want to be like him. And they want to get paid. So Zacchaeus, even though he didn't live in America, he didn't live in this economy. He grew up poor. And I'm gonna tell you something. It's something about the demon of poverty that screams in the ears of people that causes people to want to get paid. Now you can say what you want to say, but every one of us has had to deal with the demon of poverty. And and and that's why they keep making newer and larger casinos because people want to get paid. Man, and and God church people, man, been is in you, come on, baby. Come on. Number seven, line up. They been they been they been to the horse track. The dog track, come on, number five, you got to get on in there now. Y'all want to pretend, don't don't make me put a tab on today. But the demon of poverty. Come on now. See, see, see, see, see, see, see, see, some of y'all act like you don't think you. I know what what the demon of poverty will do. Don't don't you tell me all them TVs in your house came came from Best Buy. The freezer, freezer be full of meat. And all of it didn't come from public. And and and we've done things. Them them watches and them them diamond rings that we flash and dash and all. All of that didn't come from the legitimate jewelry store. They they came from the hookup at the hood. And it's why? Because we've all had to deal with the demon of poverty. And and and the demon of poverty, man, has messed black people up. It messes with Trump. And he got more money now than he ever had. And and every time somebody want something from him, they just dangle a little something in his face and make him think he going get something. They dangled an airplane and he took it. I mean, man, I can go down the list of politicians. I can go down the list of preachers. I can go down the list of famous people in America whose lives have been ruined. Because they accepted something to silence the demon of poverty. And I I I submit unto you today that that we can all find ourselves like Zacchaeus. See, Zacchaeus was rich. You got to understand this Bible that the Jewish people were not a rich people. By and large, they were a subject people. And with the exception of a few named Jews, that was Joseph of Arimathea. That was Nicodemus. Uh that was the rich young ruler. But you go outside of those three names in Palestine, in Jesus' day, the Jews were primarily farmers and herdsmen. Therefore, they were poor. But it says of Zacchaeus that he was rich. So Zach took him a job that was going to pay him and make people respect him and deliver him from all of the pain and frustration that he had experienced. But that's the very thing that caused him to get lost. Oh, man, I I I when when see, when when when when you follow the wrong demons. And you end up trying to put yourself in a position. Then before you know it, you've sacrificed your faith just to have fellowship. See, see Zach now, can't go up to Jerusalem with the pilgrims who going up for the Passover. Zacchaeus got to stay in Jericho because publicans and sinners didn't go up to Jerusalem for the Passover. So they had to refrain themselves and restrain themselves into certain suckers. And that's my word this morning. We got to be careful as a church. We got to be careful that we don't we don't put young boys and young ladies in positions that we we won't accept them in the faith, in the fellowship. Because when we start rejecting them and pushing them out of the church because they wear their pants down here, then there's a homie crowd that's going to welcome them. And they're not only going to teach them how to wear their pants down a little lower. They're going to teach them how to shake it. If if we push all the young girls out and and talk about how they dress and and all of those kinds of things like that and we don't put our arms around our babies and help them to understand. They will end up sacrificing their faith to have fellowship. So instead of coming to church on Sunday, they're going to hang out on Saturday, watching the Chippendales. Oh, y'all don't hear me. And and and they will they will sacrifice faith just to have a crowd that will accept them on their terms. And that's what happened to Zacchaeus. So so Zacchaeus is now at at home and and he's lost. And and he's miserable. And and he would have stayed that way if the devil had just left him alone. The devil had him. Because he he turned loose his faith to have fellowship with the publicans and the sinners. The devil had him if he had just left him alone. how many know that's your story? You might not want to raise your hand today. You might not want folk to know, but it's your story that the the the devil had me too. And would have kept me had he just left me alone. But but you know what he did? He he he messed up. He did what the devil always do. Anybody know what he always do? How he messed up. He overplayed his hand. And and and he he if he had just left me where he had me, he could have kept me. But but he started talking. And when when he started talking, he was he was talking with design to try to make me feel bad. See, he he worked on a lot of us like that. And and he he gets you going like that. Listen, come on, come on up here. Listen at the conversation he's having with Zacchaeus. Yeah, and Jesus is in town. He coming. And and and and everybody is going to be down there. And they all going to be calling on his name. But ain't nobody going to be calling your name. Look look look at you, you miserable. You you ain't got no friends. You ain't got nobody who care about you. Nobody who love you. You just a mess. Man, the devil has messed with a whole lot of folk. Come on now. Don't don't don't you pretend. You you're you're been to your girlfriend's house, you're been to your boy's house and their house. They got the fine China. And you know it your house, y'all still drinking out of jelly jars. You know, and and you're been to the same school that they're been to and you got the same degree that they got. And and look like they're moving on up the ladder and you're still where you are. And and the devil start working on you. He will work on you and he was working on Zacchaeus. Man, if he had just left that boy alone, he had him. But but he told him, he challenged him. He said, go see. Go see somebody who's different than you. Somebody who everybody going to be saying, Hosanna. Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord. Ain't nobody going to call your name. They going to all run from you. They don't want to see your face. And and Zacchaeus decided, all right, I'm going. I'm going to see him. And and and so he's in his house by himself, but he decides, I'm going downtown Jericho to see Jesus. I want to see what this noise is all about. And and when he leaves the house, he leaves the house as Mr. Zacchaeus. He doesn't leave the house as poor Zacchaeus. But he leaves the house as Mr. Zacchaeus. So so how does that look? He's dressed in his three-piece Armani suit. He got on his custom shirt with his French cuffs. He got on his gators and they they shine to the knap. He got on his shirt made by the custom shop. He's Mr. Zacchaeus. He sprayed his Pierre Cardin cologne all over him. He's Mr. Zacchaeus. And he going downtown to climb a tree. Oh Lord. I mean, how many know the devil has messed up like that a lot of times? Don't don't you remember when you came to church? And you were dropped dead sharp. You know, Langston Hughes used to say that about white people during slavery. He said, they would come around the black people to laugh at the slave, but they'll stay around long enough to cry. Man, when you come to church, you might be dropped dead clean coming in to see who can see you. But you better know it's somebody going to be looking back at you. Zacchaeus runs downtown all dressed up and he climbs a sycamore tree. Oh Lord. How many people are in this world today up trees? Dropped dead clean, but hiding behind branches. Oh, man, there are people in here this morning, don't want you to know they're upper tree. There are some people who are up trees and they're on drugs, but they hide behind branches. There are some people who are up trees and they're financially strapped, but they're up trees. There are people who are up trees and they're lost and don't know they're lost. They're hiding behind the branch. Think that the Lord don't know where you are. But here comes Jesus. And Jesus comes down through the city of Jericho. And he comes right to the sycamore tree. And he pauses and he probably takes a big sip, a big sniff and he goes, that doesn't smell like a sycamore to me. That smells like Pierre Cardin. And he looks up and he sees Zacchaeus. And he calls him out, Zacchaeus, come down. For today I must abide at thy house. Oh, somebody is in here this morning. You came sharp. But the Lord came seeking. You came seeking the pew, but God came seeking you. And God will show up at your chair. And God will call you by your name. And he'll say, today I must abide at your house. I got to go home with you. I have a special assignment and substance and relationship that I want to have with just you. And you know who he who you are. Zacchaeus was just shocked out of his mind. You mean you want to go home with me? And and you know my name? And even though I'm trying to hide behind this sycamore leaf, you calling me out? Zacchaeus jumped out of that tree. Brushed himself off. And went home with Jesus. Let Jesus go home with him. But you know what? It's a mess that church folk can't handle. They can't stand when you respond to God's call for salvation. Come on, let me let me let me let me let me show you hypocritical church folk. You mean he going home with him? Oh, you mean he going home with her? What? You mean pastor made her chairman of Women's Day? You mean they put him to sing a solo? Don't he know who that person is? Don't you know they have done everything but died? And y'all want to put them up. That's church folk. But the Lord is not interested in that. The Lord is interested in the salvation of this man because he too is a son of Abraham. He was born genetically. He was born ethically. He was born morally in the right family. But because he made a mistake in his life, he ended up being lost. But hallelujah. I'm glad that God overrides our mistakes. How many know it's a good thing? If they could put delete on computers. If they can put Liquid Paper on what used to be typewriters. If they can put erasers on pencils. Then God has a right to put remove or forgiveness on poor sinners like you and me. I'm not here today because I have not made a mistake. But I'm here because the Lord looked beyond my faults. And he saw my need. I'm not here today because I didn't go up the wrong road sometime in my life. And it wasn't because I didn't necessarily make all of the right turns. But I'm here because God is merciful. And because he understood the mission for which he came into the earth to perform. And I don't know how it makes you feel, but I'm glad that he seeks and saves that which was lost. Anybody glad? Is that your song today? My song if I had to sing it was I was sinking deep in sin. Far from the peaceful shore. I was very deeply stained within. I was sinking to rise no more. But the master of the sea. He heard my despairing cry. And from the waters lifted me. Now safe am I. All I'm saying is love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me. Anybody know about God's love? It's a love that reaches way down. And lifts me way up. Is a love that reaches way out. When I was lost in my own far country. My father, heavenly Father, was waiting at the gate. And then one day I came to myself. And I came to Jesus just as I was. Weary, wounded and sad. But I found in him a resting place. And he had made me glad. I don't know how it makes you feel, but I thank you, Jesus. I thank you, Lord. I ain't want to go like that, but help me today, Lord. Speak your word to me. Speak your word through me. Because we are all lost. And without the Lord finding us and calling us by name, we would be continually lost. But thank God Jesus came. Thank God he came. Knowing our name. Knowing our frame. Knowing what tree we were in. And willing to take us home with him. All I want to say is if you let him go home with you today, when life is over, then you'll go home with him. But if he can't go home with you today, don't expect you to go home with him when life comes to a close. And since you don't know when life is going to come to a close, you ought to do your best to let him go home with you today. Tell him you trust him. Tell him you love him. Tell him thank you. Look at Zacchaeus, look at Zacchaeus, he got out of the tree. The Lord said, I'm going home with you. Zacchaeus said, Lord, listen. If I've done anything to anybody. If I've wronged anybody, and you know he had. He'd been ripping people off. That's how he got rich. He said, I'll restore them fourfold. There must be, listen at what I'm saying, evidence in your life that you have made a change. It can't just be talk. There has to be a difference. There has to be a newness. That was another woman, y'all know about her. She was the woman that Jesus met at the well. Man, she came with a water pot. Talking about give me some water. Jesus asked her for some water. And she said, if you knew. He said, if you knew who ask you, you would be asking me. When they got through with the conversation, she dropped her water pot. And she ran into the village and this is her testimony, come see a man. Who told me everything about me. Is not this the Christ. There got to be some evidence. There's a new walk, a new talk. A new wave of understanding that must overcome you when the Lord comes in. Zacchaeus was different. Man, people were lined up all around the block. And he's giving them fourfold what he had taken from them. As the evidence that God had come into his life. Let me put it another way. When when God comes into your life, when when a baby is born into the world, you know what doctors do when when when when when they bring the baby forth from the womb? They they they smack the baby on the behind. And you know why? Because they want to hear a cry. They want to hear a cry that says, a new birth has taken place. There must be a cry that a new birth has taken place. That new life has been born on the inside. Zacchaeus' cry was, Lord, if I've taken anything from anybody. I'll restore them fourfold. You know, Jesus, man, that's what we got to do. We we we got to cry. And so I I cry today that I I love you, God. That's the new cry for me. That's a new mourn in my heart. God, Jesus, I thank you. I you are love. You are my joy. You are my strength. You are my salvation. You are my hope. You are my help. You are my healer. You are my blesser. You are my forgiver. You are my way maker. You are my bridge over trouble water. You are my ladder to high places. You're the very staff I lean upon. The very rock I stand upon. You are everything to me. And that ought to be the cry today. That ought to be a cry from the heart of every believer. Jesus came now. He didn't come just to show out. He didn't come just to style and profile. But he came to seek and to save that which was lost. And I'm glad he came because he found me. He found me. And the question today is, did he find you? And if you're still lost, and if you've heard his voice today, then give him your heart. Give him your moment. Give him this moment. Jesus is Lord. Come on, sing the song. While we singing this song, the doors of the church are going to be open. And this is your moment to come forward to tell Lord, I want you to come in my heart. Come in my mind, change my life. Help me to be different. Teach them to love one another. Love one another. You can come now by letter. Christian experience. Candidate for baptism. The doors are open. Oh Lord. And he won't let you down. I know he won't let you down. He's my forever. In my heart. We've got to walk on. Walk on through temptations. Cause he's love. And his wisdom will be our helping hand. I know the truth. And God's word will be our salvation. Oh yes, he will. So let's lift our hearts just to be thankful. I'm glad that Jesus is Lord. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. Yes, he will. He won't let you down. Oh Lord. I know he's my forever. In my heart. Oh Lord. He's in my heart. He can lift my heart. He will in my heart. He can bring his power. He can bring his glory. Forever and ever and ever. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I'm going to follow your star forever. He will needs me. I don't mind, Lord. I hope you don't mind. I want to walk with you. I want to talk with you. I'm going to do everything that you want me to do. Because I know that Jesus is Lord. I know. And if you ask, I'll show love is the word forever and ever and ever. He can bring your love. He can bring his joy. He can turn your life around. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. He got God will pick you up. He's you fall. He'll stand beside you. Jesus. He will love you. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. He can heal your body. He can make you strong. He can help you to hold out. Just a little while. Oh yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. He can love you. He can call you in the morning. Call you in the evening. Call you in the midnight. Oh yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Jesus is love. I know. And if you ask, I'll show love is the word forever. Forever and ever. God's Jesus is love. Oh Lord. That's why I came. He he came not because the world needed physicians. He he said, people who are well, they don't they don't need physicians. But he came because we're sick. We're sin sick and we need him. And he knows where we are. So we don't have to pretend to be who we're not. Just call on him and let him come into your heart. Let him come into your life. Let him be your companion. Let him go home with you. And when he goes home with you, he can teach you and change you and cause you to be different. And you'll be thankful and grateful for eternity for all that the Lord does. I want to thank our dear beloved brothers and sisters for visiting with us this morning and for all of you for joining us for this service of worship. Our service now comes to a close. We're going to stand together. We're going to sing the old hymn. Uh the old rugged cross. Is that what it is? All right, thank you. Thank you. Father, we we we thank you for this season, for this great period of time, for this holy week that we're entering into. We thank you, Lord, that pilgrims all over the world will be traveling. And people will be going to the very place that's torn up by war to the ancient city of Jerusalem and to the holy land. Some will be brave in the bombs and other things to try to be there to commemorate this historic moment when you became a man and when you paid the sin price on the cross and next week we'll celebrate the resurrection. And I pray for the safety of all of those who will be traveling. Pray for people all throughout the Middle East. People whose names we don't know, whose circumstances we'll never understand. But Lord, you know who they are. You know where they are. We pray for our sons and daughters who serve us in this country through the armed forces of the United States. Some will be deployed, some are already deployed. Some are put in harm's way. And we pray, Lord, that you would be merciful to them and protect them. And we pray, Lord, that you would intervene in the minds of the decision makers. That they will understand that destruction of one another is not the cause. That peace with one another will produce a better result. Holy Father, we pray for the Christian community. That we're not just recognize Easter as a symbol, but that we'll stand as resurrected sons and daughters of the most high God and declare the truth that you live. That you live not only in the world, but that you live in our hearts personally. We pray for the families of those who will have lost loved ones, the bereaved families. We pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Lord, those who are anticipating a funeral this week. Pray that you will guide them and direct them and heal them. We pray for the sick among us. We pray for those who come home from the hospital and those who are still there and some who in other places of convalescence. We pray for safety for all of us as we go out of these doors. Dismiss us now from here but never from your holy presence. We ask again that the grace of God, the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit, that you would rest, rule and abide with each one of us, your children, until we meet again. God's people said, amen. Amen, amen. God bless you.

Host: Hope you enjoyed the broadcast. You have been listening to a message from the Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church where we are reaching the world for Christ. Located at 2135 Jefferson Avenue Southwest, Birmingham, Alabama 35211. For a copy of this message, you can reach us at 205-925-9750 or 9751 or visit us on the web at www.greatershiloh.org. For another uplifting message, we invite you to join us for our next broadcast.