Transcription
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.
Next day, John saw Jesus. [Music] Let's worship him tonight. That's really worshiping than that. Hallelujah! [Music] Have enjoyed this youth camp. [Music] The saving business specializes in saviors. Tell you something, young people. Only fools go to hell. That's only fools go to hell. Think of how enormous God's mercy is. Great year, be good enough to go to heaven. Mercy of God's grace and God's blood. Thanks the devil's only hope. Oh, that endured them to the end, the same shall be saved. Dr. C, ultimate sacrifice for the high priest for his man. The man that bought the sacrifice was never scrutinized. The lamb was scrutinized. The lamb was perfect. Then the man was, but yet I'm good. The lamb was having to believe. We've got a lamb that's good, and then it's thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ. [Applause]
I'm reading tonight from the Book of Luke, chapter 15. A familiar passage of scripture about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost prodigal. Chapter 15. You'll find Luke, chapter 15, and verse 11. And he said, a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. He divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be involved. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. Would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's house have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of the hired servants. He arose and came to his father. When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck. And I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to.
And what a tremendous, tremendous story. But we love you tonight. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your presence. So thankful for this group of young people that are here tonight. My privilege and honor to preach to them tonight. I pray God that you would speak to our hearts. Lord, let something be said in this building that will be eternal. God, that there be changes tonight that will live on throughout lifetimes. We're believing you tonight in Jesus' name. We love you and we pray. Amen. And you can be seated tonight.
I want to talk to you tonight from this subject: "There's More Left Than Lost." There is more left. It's a long time thing to witness the ravaging effects of sin. When sin has run its course in an individual's life, the Bible says that sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Must have been a horrifying thing to look into the young face of a prodigal son that had been so scarred by sin. The body that was probably ravaged by disease. They once innocent conscience that was variety of death. To think of a haunting memories that this young man brought home with him of his sojourn in sin. I don't believe that this young man ever intended for things to happen the way they have. Wondered them. I believe that it was in his mind to take a a short journey and to get back without any lasting effect taking place in his life. But it must have been a touching scene to look at this prodigal son as he staggers home, empty pockets, penniless, ragtag clothes, skinny, hungry, young man, friendless and lonely. To see the infamous and the fear in his eyes. You're wondering if he would be accepted back in his home or not. To me, I want to tell young people in this building that sin is expensive. That we need to always remember the high price of low living. There's a price tag attached with every sin that is committed. Sin is so expensive that when it is committed, I am convinced to believe that everyone pays. I believe that the whole universe is affected by one's sin. Hallelujah. When a person sins, it affects the human race. When a man or a woman sins, it affects even more those that they're closest to. Hallelujah. A lot of people have the attitude, "Well, you know, I'll let me do what I want to do and live the way I want to live. I'm hurting no one but myself." Well, that's kind of a stupid statement to make. And hallelujah, if that was the only reason, hallelujah, for not sinning, then you ought to have enough sense not to sin. A little you anything that's hurting yourself. But the truth of the matter is, is that when we commit sin, that does not just affect us, but it affects those that love us the most. When a young person decides to dishonor themselves and commit sin, they hurt their parents. They hurt a daddy. They hurt their mother. They hurt their family name. They hurt those that are closest to them. But the truth of the matter is, the sinner himself ultimately pays the greatest price for his sin. Sin pairs and steals and destroys. Sin undermines. It lowers your self-respect. Sin has a way of eliminating. Sin has a way of banishing hopes. And it's hard to believe that in the eyes of a young teenager, hope can die as a result of sin. You'll want to say this: The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death." A lot of times when we read that scripture, we think of the future. We think of the judgmental. And sure enough, the wages of sin is death, and there's going to be an eternal death for the man or the woman that traffics in sin. But I want to tell you, it didn't say the wages of sin is *going to be* death. It said the wages of sin *is* death. It's talking about something present. It's talking about something that happens when the sin is committed. Alleluia. I've seen the light go out in young couples' eyes because immoral sin had entered into a relationship. I've seen teenagers and people in their early 20s and seem to lose hope. I've seen people commit such terrible mistakes that come early in life that for the rest of the life, it seemed like that you could not look at their face without remembering the tragic decision that they made somewhere in their life. Sin has a lasting effect in our life. To some degree, it is destroying. It tears and it eliminates and it vanishes hope. It leads the sinner down a road of self-destruction. Hallelujah. When a person lives in sin, they lose faith in themselves. Hallelujah. We've got a young group of people here tonight, and some of you think that you're grown, but I want to tell you something: you're still very young. And if the Lord tarries, and it's good to you, you've got a life ahead of you. Alleluia. You're just beginning in life. It's amazing that so early in life, sin can have such an effect on a teenager that a teenager can lose faith in himself. A little you see them. You can cause you to feel like giving up. Sin can cause you to take the attitude, "Well, what's the use? I've messed myself up. I've messed my reputation up." Alleluia. We have a way of early in life falling into some type of a a category, and the devil tries to make us believe what we are now, we all have to be the rest of our life. And I've had teenagers in my church that too fell in the sea, or made a mistake. And one of the greatest battles that I fought with them was trying to convince them, "You've made a mistake, and sin has had a devastating effect upon your life, but you need to realize that this doesn't have to be the last chapter of your life." But you got to realize that if Calvary gives us anything, it gives us an opportunity for a new beginning. Then it's in your youth camp like this tonight that someone can make the turnaround in your life. Someone can stand up and look the devil in the face and say, "I refuse to stay where I'm at. I refuse to let all my past mistakes dictate my future and destroy every bit of faith and confidence that I have in my life." Hallelujah.
The prodigal son, hallelujah, had left so much at home when he walked out. This young man, the devil had sold him a bill of goods, and he walks out on a daddy. He walks out on a living family. He walks away from the great blessing. Son that he failed to recognize was there, resident in that home, the favor of God, the blessing of God that was there. This young man, no doubt, felt like the world had more to offer, and the devil had more to offer than the father's house. And young people, early in life, you need to get a revelation that it pays to serve the Lord. Hallelujah. You're blessed tonight to be in an old-fashioned Apostolic youth camp. Hallelujah. You're blessed in a world that is so darkened by sin. Hallelujah. To have a pastor that loves you, and to have a church family that's pulling for you, that is concerned for you. Hello. You're those teenagers that are running the streets tonight, they don't have anybody to pray for them. They don't have any authority to encourage them to live for God. But for the simple fact that you're here tonight, I can tell you there's a preacher preaching to you tonight that I care about what you do in this service tonight. And there's a group of Holy Ghost-filled adults that's in this place that has given a week of their life to try to make the atmosphere conducive to where you can shake the devil off your pocket. Hallelujah. You can get everything out of the blood of Jesus Christ, and you can make up in your mind, "I'm gonna serve the Lord. I'm gonna live for the Lord. I'm gonna give God my best." [Applause] Oh yeah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
This prodigal son, hallelujah, took the cash register and he rang up, hallelujah, tallied up what his father had to offer, what the world had to offer, and he was deceived into thinking that the devil had more to offer than what God had to offer. Hallelujah. He walks out and he goes into a far country. Here's a young man that wastes his substance. He wasted his inheritance. And hallelujah, not only did he lose his substance in this far country, he also lost his influence, his reputation. It was gone. And the influence, no doubt, he had with those around him. And he lost all credibility. And another thing that this young man lost was his innocence. And hallelujah, I will say this, that when he did come home, and little you, there were some things that that young man lost that was never regained again. And hallelujah, there were memories of faith he experienced in the world. Sienna that no doubt for the rest of his life. But he'll. Although you're stepping in a crowd, looking around, hallelujah, watching what people was doing, he recognized behaviors and things going on. And tell Allu you said that he would not have recognized that he had not become knowledgeable to see him. I want to tell you, so blessed thing to be raised in a Pentecostal home, in a Pentecostal church. Alleluia. I have found myself at times that with me in that or a part of the world, and a little you made me step into a 7-Eleven store, see somebody standing on the street, and somebody there tell me, "Man, there with me, say, 'You know, they're dealing drugs over there.'" Look at others. Something going on. Well, I didn't recognize what was going on because I'm not knowledgeable of that. Hello Louie. I don't ever go in a 7-Eleven store, look at a cigarette and think anything about it. Ah, hello. Will you look at a mere ten and think anything about drinking it? Thank God that young people can be raised in a Pentecostal home. Hello. Look at this young man. He walked out, you know, he went into the world, and there were some things that he lost, but he never regained again.
About a month ago, early Sunday morning, that I begin to read this story of the prodigal son. Alleluia. And for the first time in my life, I really saw some things that I had never seen before that I want to bring to your attention. There's no way that you can read this story of the prodigal son and not be moved and quickly recognize the ravages of sin. It seems to be is so evident the things that this man lost. When you see this a ragtag individual returning home, scarred by sin, injured by the devil, hungry, lost so much weight, dirty and filthy. Hallelujah. He appear clearly appealing his high said. Hallelujah. The first thing that you seem to realize is the devastating effect that sin has had upon him and the tremendous losses that has taken place in his life. But yet, with all that he lost in this far country, and Allu you ever think that he lost him. I want to tell you, a friend, there was still some things available for this young man. I'm sure when he left home and started it on his journey into sin, and at first he thought that he was gaining everything that he had ever wanted, the excitement of the party, the fresh face of Sienna. Hallelujah. Upon his lips. But young person, it did not take long for this young man to wake up and realize them. Hallelujah. The things had to have been lost in his life. And bowed out when he wakes up in the hog pen, and his friends were gone, and his money is gone, and he's lonely, and he's empty. And he would have faith filled his belly with a duster that the hogs didn't. This young man began to think and feel like he had lost everything that was worth anything. I'm preacher to somebody here tonight that the cause of the maybe a mistake, maybe something that other people have found out that you've done, the devil wants to devalue you. He wants to make you feel like, "I've ruined my life, and I can't be any different than what I am, and I've lost the most precious things and a loss pain that I can never regain again." And I will drive home again tonight that there are some things in Sienna that you can't lose, that you can never, never, never regain again. But I also want to let you know that while the devil and make you believe that everything of value has been lost, I don't have anything worth living for. Or yes, we're living in a world where young people commit suicide as teenagers. Oh yeah. They come to a place, they feel like, "I don't have anything worth living for." I'm gonna prove it to you tonight. There is more that is left. I've come tonight to tell somebody that it's not all over with for you. We have come to tell you the price tag or the nanny tag, rather, that the devil has tried to hang on you. You can refuse it tonight. You can't reject it tonight. This is a place of new beginnings. This is a place where lives can be restored. I read, I read that spectacle ago, "The wages of sin is death," and it's oppressive. But I'm gonna tell you, there's another scripture. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection." That little you. Some people got a limited understanding about that. They think the resurrection is somewhere in the future, somewhere it's relegated to a day in the future. That's what Martha thought when Jesus came and said, "Lead me to the tomb where Lazarus is at." She said, "He's been dead at that," and she argued in that, "And the great resurrection, he will come forth again." When Jesus said, "I am the resurrection." But Jesus gave her a little revelation about it all. The resurrection is more than just the day. Hallelujah. The resurrection is a person. In Jesus, that I am at the resurrection. I'm picture of some young person here today that Sienna has brought death, death to hope, that the influencer, hallelujah, death to credibility. But I can also tell you that Jesus said, "I am the resurrection." He can resurrect hope tonight. He can resurrect influence. And I can. He can resurrect a reputation tonight. Oh, hallelujah. You can make a turnaround tonight. I want to tell you something, young person. People can make all kinds of accusations against the church, but frim that church is the only place on earth where people can truly get past their past. Hallelujah. The church is the only place in the world where it doesn't matter where you come from and what you've done in the past. God can resurrect, hallelujah, your, your, your, your reputation, your influence, your faith, your hope. Hallelujah. If you've been living in immorality, if you've been committing okay, shut up. You don't have to be a fornicator the rest of your life. You don't have to be a liar the rest of your life. You don't have to be somebody that prays to impacts flies and praise through impacts lives and praise do it back slices. Hallelujah. In this service, Sonata, that can be a turnaround in your life. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection." It is not just talking about a day. He's talking about a person. This young man had lost much. He had lost as well. That was the least of his influence. Lost his innocence. Possibly he lost his very important for him to recognize there was more left than lost. He got too wrapped up with what had been lost. Would have never come home. But he had to get a revelation. Hey, I've left some things at home that's still left. I've walked out on some things that are still waiting on me. If you're not in the church tonight, and you help them in the church, I'm here to tell you, the things you left are still after. The things you won't tattle on or steal in this building tonight. You still have a future because He is the first to last, the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning of the inner, the one that was and is and is the Karma, the Almighty. The devil would like to make you think it's over, but I want to tell you, it ain't over 'til it's over. It ain't over 'til it's over. [Applause]
One thing this young man left: mercy. Nobody drove him away from his home. Nobody told this young man, "You got to leave home." Hallelujah. It was a decision that he made himself. He became deceived into thinking that he could find a good time in riotous living, cavorting with harlots and hoodlums. Hallelujah. He found nothing but misery and slavery. When he got in the world, and he woke up one day, and he was destitute of friends, destitute of food, and no man gave unto him. I don't believe this young man ever intended on going as far as he went, staying as long as he stayed, and paying the high price that he played. But that's the nature of sin. Sin has a way of enslaving. Sin has a way of becoming addicted. Sin has a way of binding. James around you. It's a lot easier to get involved in Santa than it is to get out of the sinning business. Hallelujah. But thanks to being to God that in the darkness of his situation, that in the hopelessness of his situation, that in a hog pen, he looked up and he remembered, hallelujah, mercy is what I walked out on. Hallelujah. Mercy is what I left, and mercy is still left. Hallelujah. There's a father that cares about me. There's a father that's merciful. I, he didn't drive me away from home. No doubt he still loves me. I will arise and I will go to my father's house. Hallelujah. All the value of mercy. Then that young person, listen to me. The very mercy we like to sometimes for a high price tag on reputation, hallelujah, on influence, hallelu, even only in a sense him. And we ought to put a price tag on it. Yeah. But I'm here to tell you tonight, something more valuable than even in a sense is mercy. Because you don't matter how in a Santa you think you are, you're not gonna be saved by your own righteousness. Your righteousness is as filthy rags in his prayers. That said, if you're saying it's gonna be because of the mercy and the grace of God. On patty. [Applause] You think mercy's left? See, and mercy still left. A little you can't tell me that mercy's not left. One time Jesus asked was asked by Peter, "How all I forgive my brother in a day if he sins against me seven times?" Yes, Jesus. The question is before Jesus got a chest answer. It. Peter thought he needed a little help. And Peter probably thought, "I'm really being very liberal when I say forgiving a person seven times in one day." Jesus blew his mind when he said, "Not seven times in a day, but seventy times seven." Can you forgive your brother if he sins against you? Now, that's in my Bible, and that's in your Bible. Hallelujah. If you know how to work a multiplication, that's 490 times in one day to forgive the same jerk that's seven against you. Can't forgive anybody if you're asleep. You gotta be awake. If you sleep eight hours a day, that leaves you awake sixteen hours a day. And if you do a little device in there, you find out that 490 times in sixteen hours equals about once every two minutes. But you forgiving this guy. You know how much work and you get done in two minutes? In two minutes, he's got to sin against you, he's got to ask you to forgive him, and then you got to turn around and forgive him. I'm a little you watch. Never two minutes that's got to happen. Now, you know what that tells me? That tells me forgiveness is a full-time job. I want to just stop and start track a little bit and tell young people here, you need to learn to forgive. The young people around you. Don't run your mouth and ridicule and talk bad about somebody that's in the church that's trying to be saved, just like you're trying to be saved. I don't know anybody perfect here tonight. I don't anything. I don't know anybody here that's never made a mistake. Now, the Bible says that Jesus remembers that we are but dust. And saw Jesus remembers that all we are to just mortals. And he requires of the Apostle Peter and the followers of the Lord to forgive 490 times, an average of once every two minutes. If he requires us, remembering we're dust, to do that, surely I can turn it out on God if I ever need it. I probably come close to it sometimes in my life. Hallelujah. If I ever meet 490 times in one day, I can turn it back around and say, "The Lord, if you require that of me as a human being, surely I can have faith that mercy has not left me, that mercy is still available to me." It's the devil the class that makes you think that doc don't love you, but God won't forgive you, that God doesn't have compassion for you. Oh, hallelujah. I want to say it again. Only fools go to hell. I said, only fools go to hell. With that kind of forgiveness available to us, only fools go to hell. Mercy at home? Yes, we do. The mirror. Alleluia. And respects yourself. That is important. But I want to tell you, that's not the most important thing about living for God and being saved. You better hear me tonight. Sometimes when we've been delivered for saying a little while, we get to thinking we're the ones doing it instead of God doing it again. And we become self-righteous, and we're probably closer to hell at that time than when we was in the all to repenting of our sins. We get an old fuse, a self-righteous spirit. We're not forgiving of anybody around us. We want to toss up that and tell about everybody's fault and pick out everybody's failures. And all we can see is the human side of the church, and we don't recognize the blood of Jesus Christ. Listen to me, young ladies. Huh? Hallelujah. Don't be going around the church all the time among yourselves, or talking about this one and talking about that with that one. These days you're gonna need mercy. You better extend mercy. Hallelujah. Mercy was left. Mercy was still away. After there was an old gray-headed and they were still looking down a dusty road. Boy had left home. Every day, I'm convinced to believe he waited for that board to come home. Mercy was still reaching. Mercy was still calling. I believe that boy, Alleluia, nights of recognition. There was an old force of conviction that would talk to him and say, "You ought to be living better than what you're living at." You know as well as I do, young person, one of the hardest things you can do is go to hell. It's all uphill to hell for you. Doc doesn't just send back and fold his handset and let people die and go to hell. I have found it at my worst is first time so God has been in his best. I've seen times in my life that I lost confidence in myself, but get lost confidence in being always there, saying, "Come on, repent. Come on, get right. Come on, I love you. Come on." Can I get a witness tonight? As that's the way God deals with you. When you know you're wrong, when you know you're in rebellion, instead of God why did you awesome map call it? You he woo's in the night. He speaks to ya. Left mercy, but mercy didn't leave you. I'm gonna tell you, you can't be a backslider without being unreasonable. There's an insanity that goes along with the sinner and reduces him to nothing more than a beast that lives out in the field. On the dew of heaven fell upon his back. Eagles grew out like eagles' feathers. He lost his man. This regal key that has been the mastermind architect behind the building of Babylon. Hallelujah. One of the greatest kings that had ever lived. A factor according to God's estimated summation, he was the golden head of the image that Daniel dreamed about. Her. But I want to tell you, friends, sin can turn your gold into nothing more than just rubble. Hell, are your sin can reduce you down to the level of a beast. Hallelujah. It's a fearful thing to look at the lifestyles that backsliders end up living. Don't ever serve a pen across the pew and say, "I'd never do this, but I'd never do that, or I'd never become there, sir." You never know what'll happen to you when you walk out of a red-hot Apostolic Church and you backslide. Number one to do that, you've got to become unreasonable. You gotta become unreasonable. I said, he came to himself. All of a sudden, he flipped the lights back on in his life, and he got honest with himself. He quit lying to his self. He could find it justify himself. Young people, one of the strongest tendencies in young people's lives is wonder Carter the wrong. They start trying to justify themselves. That it started with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with the first Sienna. Hallelujah. When God came, he was looking for repentance, but he said he found Adam a port in the finger, even important a finger, the serpent, and everybody blaming somebody outside. If you come out of the hog pen, you've got to come to realize, "I'm here because of my choice. I've been unreasonable. I, I've made a fool out of myself, and I will arise and go to my father's house." A rich man, how smart do you have to be? Hallelujah. To choose between the hog pen and the keys palace? How will you wake up and smell the coffee, young person? Look at what the devil is doing to the people in our world. Look at the teenagers. Hello. Yes, they parade down the halls of our malls, the bodies tattooed in their ears, and their nose pierced, and their ass all black in it. And then they, they, they look like some walking corpse walking around her. Hallelujah. Wearing some of the craziest things you ever seen in your life. All they say, "What we're doing, what we want." They're not doing what they want to do. That. Hello. Your pair of scales and we'll put it on and pull it off, and they wear whatever heavily anybody tells them to wear. Some rock stars, some crazy pervert tells them to do something, and that's exactly what they do. It becomes the norm of the day. But you're to thank God there's reasonableness in the house of God today. That's the light shining here in a world of confusing and darkness. You can reason our world suspected they'd only know how to define what marriage is. You red-blooded American boys, you want to own a world like that, said in front of a television and be bombarded, hallelujah, with accepting homosexuality, perversion. I'm gonna tell you something else, girls. Those tidal wave of lesbianism that is sweeping America today, it's graphic. But I want to tell you, right there in our area of Atlanta, Georgia, things taking place in showers, and girls clapping their hands and applauding of the girls for sinful, perverted actions. And she said, "This is what the boys in our school, they get excited over a girl that is bisexual." Now, some of you may think, "Well, that's just too plain." I'm gonna tell you adults something. These kids face it every day. The devil has got raised enough. He's come out of his call center, and they know more than what you say. Saint her life. But I just happen to believe there's a bunch of Pentecostal girls here tonight. You don't want to identify with the world like that. And there's some boys here tonight. You don't want to identify with the world like that. You still got a reasonable man. [Applause] How valuable is a reasonable mind? It's more valuable than reputation. Don't think I'm trying to devalue any of these things. I'm just trying to tell you there's more or less than lost. Alleluia. You can just be a pretty good fella, but if you don't have a reasonable mind, you're going to go to hell. If you get to the place, you don't understand, "I need a Savior. I need God. I still need the Holy Ghost. I'm hungry forever. Thank God can do for me." Ah, just boy, a reason with itself. Something else always been. You don't want the church to compromise. Where you young person? I know some of you, you sometimes you, you want to push the envelope. You want to grab about the pastor and his standards. You want to grab about the church. Oh, I've heard reports of people making statements, even backsliders making statements about our church, and they try to make us a bunch of bigots and a bunch of hateful people. And oh, you just don't love anybody. You're just so hard on everybody. And it just don't take that. I'll tell you something, friend. If you got any reason in your mind, laughter, you know, won't home to change. Home means to stay right where it's at. This is not a time for Pentecostal preachers to compromise and try to accommodate the backsliders. Your young people are too young to remember what happened in the 60s. But I want to tell you what happened in the 60s. The 60s was a decade of rebellion. Halleluja. Long had men and short-haired women. Hello. Yeah. America lost productivity. A bunch of rebel hippies that fall against the establishment. But the sad thing is, is in the midst of all of that, there was a summer. A lot of so-called searches then, instead of staying on course and staying where they were, they tried to accommodate the hippie generation. The Trinitarian Pentecostal movements in our world that we're gonna win them by being like them. I can still remember seeing the pictures of youth pastors that they started hiring for their churches. The pastor still have a short haircut. He'd look normal. And here, but there are youth pastors better now looking like some kind of beatnik hippie with long hair and a beard or a mustache. We're gonna try to win them by being like them. They didn't win them. The hippies won the church, or the so-called church, and they have never been the same. I want to tell you something. The home needs to stay home. Thank God for a father that said, "I'm not gonna go in the world and identify with my boy and compromise and justify what he's doing and dare anybody to say anything about it." I'm gonna stay home. I'm gonna keep the lights on. I'm gonna pray for him. I'm gonna look down the road, and if I see him coming this way, I'll run and get him. But I'm not gonna compromise with him. I, the only hope that my boy has is me keeping the lights on. I've got to keep home home. All we need to keep a fire burning in these Pentecostal altars. That's too mean. It's devils that's crawling across the floors today. But it's not to keep a fire on the altar. Our young people are fighting things that nor the generation has ever fought. We've got to keep revival moving in the church. The church has got to remain the church. Let me just stop and say these young people don't run but backsliders out of your church. I'll get in the car with them and let them turn the music on, and you're trying to be polite and nice and sweet, and I want to win them. A family, if they don't expect you, and you think you're gonna win them, you're not gonna win them. They're gonna win you. That's the reason the Bible says, "Have no fellowship with them. Don't even eat with Alma." I'm gonna tell you something that sounds hard, but that's not hard. That's love. That's love. Home was still their home. Was left. You. Hallelujah. They left the church because they wanted a television, and they get back to the Pentecostal church, and the church is full of television. They left the cause of jewelry, and now, hallelujah, they get back to the church, and sure is in the house. Hallelujah. They left the church for immorality, and now the pews are full of fornication. The only hope of the backslider, we got to keep home right words act. We're not gonna compromise with you. We're not gonna make you feel comfortable in your back slid condition. Alleluia. But the invitation is still the same: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." The doors still open. Salvation is still available. We are the hardest church against town against sin in this town. Tickets and I hate they got it all backwards. We're the hardest church in town on sin, but I want to tell you something else. We're also the most forgiving church. We take people the world don't want. We take people than a nominal church don't want. We take the alcoholics. We take the drug addicts. We take street people. I'm gonna add something else to the list. We take homosexuals. We hate the sin of homosexuality, but if this Bible's right, God can deliver people from anything if they repent. Oh yes. Oh yes. Oh yes. [Applause] Mercy was still left. I said mercy will still. If there was still a father waiting for a reason was still left. Dangerous drugs out there. One time, one experience. We have the power of choice. Mercy was still left. I said mercy will still have. There was still a father waiting for a boy to come on. Reason was still left. Dangerous drugs out there. One time, one experience. We have the power of choice left. The all was still in his court. Hey, where he was after he was gonna go home. I charged that he left the father's house. He was gonna be by choice. If he came back, I want to tell you, nobody can kick you out of the church, and nobody can bring you back in the church. Hallelujah. If you leave the church, you leave the church by choice. And if you come back in, you come back in by choice. I'm gonna tell your friend, you can fool around in the world until sin gets such a hold on you, you lose your reason, you lose your, your desire. Hallelujah. You become so addicted to, hallelujah, you can't see straight anymore, and you can actually lose your will to make a change in your life. This pastors in this building tonight that they have dealt with people like that. That's somewhere they had crossed over a line and lost all we owe to rip here. And that's what a reprobate is. An elderly, a lot of people thinks there are replicating. The not renovator or they sinned against the Holy Ghost and can't get forgiveness. But they can get forgiveness if you've got willpower. If you really want to be saved, if there's still a desire in your heart to do right, you have not sinned against the Holy Ghost. When you become a reprobate, you'll have no desire but that that's right. You have no reasonable in this in you. There'll be no call from mercy. But yet willpower left. The ball was in this court. Thank God he still had the power of choice. So look at him, wallet in a hog pen, covered with mud and filth, designs and eat that. But the hogs were eating. You might say, "This boy's gone too far. He'll never come out of the situation that he's in." A boat, don't ever underestimate the willpower of a man that gets sick of Siena and most to make a change in his life. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Here's a young man that came to realize, "It's now or never. It's time for me to put everything on the table. It's time to go for broke. I'm fixing to say goodbye to the hog pen. I'm fixing to give the pigs a permanent wave. Hallelujah. I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back again. I'm getting out of the sinning business, and it's gonna be a clean cut in my life. I'm not gonna make excuses for what I've done, where I've gone, and what I putana." Hallelujah. I don't have anything to offer the father but broken dreams and in finis and hunger and a bunch already get close. I want to tell you, the problem with some people, there's still trying to offer God something. They still want to come to an altar, and they want to think about, "Well, you know, I'm sorry, bet I have seen that. You know, I'm still a pretty good fella. You know, I still do a lot of good thing." God's not interested in you bringing anything to the altar but repentance. [Applause] The power of decision, the power of choice. About 4,000 devils any that was running around naked, become a madman, could run for Jesus and they have mercy on me. Hallelu. I don't see anybody here tonight that even comes close to being like that Legion that lived among the terms. Don't tell me you can't get up from where you're at and say, "I'm tired of doing what I've done." I'm gonna tell you, there's some young people in this building that's been fornicating. You don't have to fornicate any more, and you don't have to let people take that that name tag on you. It may not happen overnight, but Jesus can restore your reputation. He can restore your influence. [Applause] People say, "Well, God won't ever use me." I'm gonna tell you how to use you. I said, "God, I wasn't worthy." Everybody's unworthy. And again, don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm not trying to devalue reputation and influence, and I'm not trying to minimize terrible sins. You're not the Savior. You're not going to go to heaven because you're good. You're gonna go to heaven because He's good, and because you made a decision. "I'm not gonna live the way I'm living. I'm not gonna stay in this Hall pin. I will arise." And it's time for some young people to stand on your feet and looks a devil in the face and say, "I'm not gonna stay where I didn't live in. I'm not gonna allow people to hang a nametag on me that I'm not." Don't tell me if you've got a prayin pastor and a prayin mama and a daddy in a church that's reaching for you, and you've been raised around the church, hallelujah, that you want to be what you are. If you're outside right now, that's not the real you. I want to tell you, people start committing sin, and they get to say, "This is just me. I just got to be me." That's not you. God's got a better plan for you than that. God's got a better plan for you than the whole pen. He's got better things for you to eat than then a husk. "I will arise. I would arise." The balls in my court. I'm not gonna stay where I'm at. I refuse these chains. Tell me I'm stirred up about this tonight. I'm stirred up about the devil. I say, young people, I'm under. I want you to listen to me. There's some older people here tonight. It blows our mind to see a teenager, 13, 14, 15 years old, that they act like they've lost all hope in life. My God, you just don't understand what life's all about. If you're here at this youth camp and you say, "Wait, you know, you say no sense in me going on. It's just all over with." Hogwash. It's not all over with. I said, it's not all over with. The guy is not sent in your life. You have not lost so much that you got to continue doing what you're doing. I'm gonna tell you something. Every Pentecostal young lady in this building ought to be able to go to the altar of matrimony a virgin. And the same thing goes with a boys. But I want you to listen to me. The fact of the matter is, is it's not gonna happen. And the fact of the matter is, it's too late for some young people. And the fact of the matter is, I will tell you something. I won't just be playing with you. I'm looking at a bunch of young people that's heat up with emotions. Yeah, you're the tough time of your life, and the bombardment of the world everywhere you look at sex, everywhere you look, the devil's paint in the picture. You can even drive down the highways, the billboards, the advertisements. [Applause] Should we strive to stay clean? You better stay clean. You better stay clean. But I want to tell you this: if you haven't stayed clean, you don't have to remain dirty. You don't have to keep fornicating. The devil to tell you, "There's no use. You've already in this stuff. Just go ahead. You've lost everything that matters." That is a lie. I said, that's a lie. This church is not built on a bunch of people that's got a long backlog of being good and being sweet. It's built on that blood. It's built on forgiveness. And I'm gonna tell you, if God forgives, we ought to forgive. Up. I said, I've gotta forgive. We ought to forgive. And listen to me, son. A little. Listen to the young person. Don't catch yourself with your standard higher than God's standard. If you ask God to forgive you, and he says, "I'll forgive you," and then you keep blaming yourself, or you see, "I just don't believe God's forgiving me." I want to tell you, your standard is higher than Calvary's standard. [Applause] There's more left than lost. There's more left than lost. Don't let your past destroy your future. Shake it off. I refuse to stay here. I'm not gonna let people to hold me down. I got a bad reputation. Change your reputation. There's a price tag that has to be paid. You don't do it overnight. But I want to tell you, when the Holy Ghost really gets ahold of a person, everybody eventually knows it. God can restore your influence in your youth group, in your church. Your pastor can believe in you again. If we don't believe this, we need to shut the doors of this church and forget about it. I'm gonna tell you, God is a God of the second chance. The Bible says the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time. Hallelujah. He had went away from God, but God said, "Listen, Jonah, I'm gonna give you another chance." He's a God of the second chance, and the third chance, and the whole of cancer, and the big chance. Let me warn you, I'm not talking about getting four sumptuous in your sins and saying, "I'll do anything I want to do and live any way I want to live, and I just say forgive me." The fact of the matter is, God, if I give you 490 times in one day, but you've got to.
Be willing to repent and [Applause]. If you repent, He'll forgive you. If you're honest, He'll forgive you. If you want to get out of the mess you're in, you get out of the mess you're in. I won't tell you this message is gonna save somebody if you'll listen to me.
The devil is a he is he is a professional. It's time to hang a tag on us. Hello, vehicle. I've looked at David when he came out there and said, "What in the world you're sending out here? This is this this this punk. What a what a door hit coming out of here with a with a slingshot and a rock trying to be bad. You're him trying to put a tag on him. What are you doing sending a boy out here?"
David didn't get pulled out of position. He didn't start trying to flaunt himself. He knew who was behind him. He said, "You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord." Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You're a child of God. You're a daughter of God. You're a son of God. You're God's children. Alleluia.
Does God get angry when we sin? God gets angry when we sin. The Bible says God is angry with the wicked every day. Oh, well, that must mean He hates me. Now, that's where you're wrong. He's angry with your sin, but He don't hate you. I get angry when my boys do wrong, but I don't hate them. In fact, my anger is one of the greatest signs of my love for them. If I didn't love them, I could care less what they're doing.
I believe God gets angry when people fornicate. Hallelujah. When people are living in sin, God's head great. I've had mothers, I've heard mothers tell their children, "Don't do that. If you do that, Jesus won't love you." Don't ever say that. You, no matter what you do, Jesus loves you. I love my boys. I don't care what they become, I still love them. Don't you tell me that God's love is not as great as my love.
And it's not His will that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. You don't want any young person here to go to hell. He don't want you to keep on doing what you're doing. He's not interested in snapping hell across your shoulders. What are you gonna do with it? The ball's in your court. What are you gonna do, young lady? The dirtiest, the loudest, the most reckless. That which is lost is never regained. You need to wake up and say, "You know what? I've been playing the part of a fool. I'm not gonna be then anymore. I'm gonna go home to my home church and my pastor's gonna realize something's changed in me."
Don't tell me you can't do it. If a prodigal son can go from the hog pen to the father's house, you can too. If a legion can leave a graveyard and for the feet of the Master, you can too. Hallelujah. Oh yeah. Hell is raging tonight, but I want to tell you something. There's something more powerful than hell. On that sandy beach that day, Jesus Christ met the devil. Here on hallelujah. Heaven meets hell. Hello, Hana. Can all I'm sitting at is look out. Hell, here comes heaven. Hallelujah. God's in this building tonight. The Deliverer to set free, to give somebody a new beginning. Hallelujah.
I want to tell you, Moses, you know something? Listen to me. Let me tell you about some of the people God used. Some of us, we got out of sin. We've been out of sin for several years, and we get we get so self-righteous, we think we deserve what we are. I want to tell you what Moses did. Moses killed a man. He was a murderer. He was running from the law. He was a fugitive. That's what he was. And God starts speaking to him. I want you to go back to Egypt and lead my people out. What's the first thing that Moses said? "Who am I to do this? They're not gonna believe me. Not to tell them me. I am the resurrection. I am the reviver of influence. Nobody's gonna listen to me. I'm a murderer. I've lost my reputation."
I'm gonna restore you. I'm gonna restore you. I am the resurrection. That "I AM" of the Old Testament was the "I AM" of the New Testament that said, "I am the resurrection." Martha, don't limit your understanding of the power of God to just one day in the future somewhere. Turn around right now. More left than lost. There's still more left than lost. I believe how you say that for every young person that's in this building right here. I believe I say that for every one of you. I believe I can tell you with certainty, there's more left.
Bible symbols: Symbolic objects. The rainbow, a symbol of God's covenant. A stairway, a symbol of the way to God. Thunder, lightning, clouds, and smoke, symbols of God's majesty. Thunder, a symbol of God's voice. Trumpets, a symbol of God speaking. The pillar of cloud and fire, a symbol of guidance. A throne, a symbol of God's glory. Throne, a symbol of spiritual death. White hair, a symbol of wisdom. The wind, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Fire, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Stars and lampstands, symbols of God's ministers. A signet ring, symbol of authority. Arrows, symbols of God's judgments. A scepter, a symbol of God's rule. The capstone, a symbol of preeminence. A rock, a symbol of stability. The human body, a symbol of interdependence. Brass, symbol of human frailty. Symbolic creatures: The serpent, a symbol of Satan's subtlety. Locusts, a symbol of God's judgment. Beasts, symbols of earthly kingdoms. [Music] A dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit. A lamb, symbol of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. [Music]
Symbolic actions: Breaking a jar, a symbol of the destruction of Jerusalem. The cursing of a vineyard, the symbol of judgment. Washing hands, a symbol of innocence. Being thirsty, a symbol of spiritual need. Baptism, used for salvation, and a symbol of cleansing. The Lord's Supper, symbol of union with Christ. Anointing, a symbol of empowering by God's Spirit. Harvesting, a symbol of Judgment Day. Tearing garments, symbol of anger and sorrow. Spitting, a symbol of contempt. [Music] Shaking off dust, symbol of rejection. Sitting in sackcloth and ashes, symbol of repentance. Lifting of hands, a symbol of prayer. Covering the head, a symbol of submission. [Music]
Symbols expressing God's nature and character: God's face, a symbol of His presence. God's armor, hand, a symbol of His power. God's eye, a symbol of His awareness. God's ear, symbol of God's listening. God bless you. Thanks for watching.