Sunday Evening Worship Service
by Billy McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Revelation 22:14-15, Ephesians 4:19, 1 Timothy 5:6, Revelation 3:1, Ephesians 2:1-5, Ephesians 5:14-19, Jeremiah 17:9, Colossians 2:9-14

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/billy-mccool--sunday-evening-worship-service-110
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

------------------------------------------------------------
God bless you and you may be seated and um I don't want to be controversial or contrary but um I'd like plenty of lights on in the sanctuary I have already told Pastor Mark at my funeral if they turn the nights out uh I'm going to get up and walk out well uh I've got that philosophy I've I've preached for many years I like my lights bright and Pa set loud and like the water fountain to spew all the way out in the floor freely You' receive freely give give the Bible says but I would like to give honor first of all to the Lord Jesus Christ the head of this great church of which we are all privileged to be members and then I want to give honor to our pastoral staff Pastor Mark and sister Jamie MC and uh Pastor Nate Ashley uh Whitley Pastor Anthony and sister Kelly and their families they're so so dear to me and what a blessing they are to this church and then I'm just going to have to give a blanket honor because we have so many wonderful people that's working behind the scenes uh the the technical staff is unbelievable the the video audio and there's so many things that they're doing that I appreciate so very much and uh I also want to say thank the Lord for brother Jim and brother Stanley that they see that our parking lot is uh picked up with all the debris every weekend and I appreciate that they volunteered to do that and I appreciate it so very much and then I want to say I see somebody back there brother Roger Milstead and Roger Milstead we used to call him little Roger I don't think he's too little right now but let's welcome he used to drive the brother milston used to drive the bus for us and and they've done so many things and there's there's many others here tonight that I would like to give honor to and of course the very highest of all honors that I could possibly give behind the Lord Jesus Christ is the lady that has stood by me for uh 67 years and that is Sister M she's been such a a blessing to me a great gift and I thank God for her she's H stuck with me through thick and thin up and down and I appreciate her so very very much give her a big hand yes I announced the title I was going to be speaking from and um this was not a catchy title just to be uh catchy and to get your attention because it's every bit scriptural and it's not to be dealt with frivolously or lightly but my title is a living dog is better than a dead lion father we pray that you will anoint the lips of clay with the spirit of God give what you would have spoken in this service tonight give me the ability to deliver from my heart what you have placed in my heart to speak to this congregation for all this will give your name the praise the honor and glory for we ask it in Jesus precious name amen I will say this I count it a great honor to be speaking speaking to First Apostolic church on Sunday night the greatest church family on planet Earth as far as I am concerned and I appreciate each and every one of you so very very much I wish I could call every name and a minute's time and let each one of you know how much I appreciate you my scripture is found in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verse 4 and I have read this chapter so many times and especially this week and U what got my attention is the the the wise man Solomon he's writing and um he starts out the first verse and let me paraphrase him he talks about the uh the the good the bad the righteous the unrighteous those who give sacrifices and those who don't and he put a whole lot of things together and then he he said time and chance happeneth to them all in other words he said that there's going to be some good things and bad things that's going to happen to good people and there's going to be some good things and bad things that's going to happen to bad people and we need to be careful before we put our stamp of disapproval or approval on what God does there are some things things that's going to happen to you no matter how good you live no matter how righteous you live no matter how much tithe you pay there's some things that's going to be disappointing and uh it's going to be negative and the Bible says time and chance happen to them all in fact one time David he he got to musing in his own mind and he said uh he said I looked around and said it looked like the wicked was doing better than the righteous and he said he I said my foot well not slipped I I got to seeing how good that some folks were doing and they were living so bad and yet looked like they was doing better than the good folks and he said I my foot had well I said he said until I went to the house of God and I saw what their end would be so before you begin to look and uh compare yourself with somebody else and and say they're doing better than me or they're not doing as good as me you stop that get to the house of God and say God your will be done in my life I'm going to accept the good and I'm going to accept the Bad and the Bible had a reason to tell us about Job the Bible said he was a perfect man a man that feared God and issued evil and he was the the the one of the richest men in the East so having established that let me read my scripture I'm skipping down to verse four because uh Solomon already uh played with these words about the good and the bad and those love and who don't and good things happen bad things happen and and he said there's one thing about it well let me read this verse four for to him that is joined to all the living Liv there is hope now that's pretty easy to understand if you're joined to the living you're alive and if you are joined to the living then uh There's Hope for you he said for a living dog is better than a dead Lion now way back in the Book of Genesis God made a covenant with Abraham and the Covenant he made with him is all the male on the eighth day of their life would be circumcised and those who were already grown they had to be circumcised and all beyond that they were considered and the the the the the two animals that we deal with right now is is the the lion is known as the king of the jungles the Bible speaks several times of of a lion and it was a great honor for somebody to kill a lion because the lion was the king of the the jungles but when it comes to a dog there was very little said of any honor and respect concerning a dog those who were not circumcised the Gentiles they were considered dogs you will remember the Bible Jesus was teaching when day day and and there was a Canaanite woman and she began to speak out and uh my master my my daughter is grievously vexed with the devil and I need your help and and and Jesus didn't pay her any M just just overlooked her the deciples came to Jesus and said this woman is is getting on our nerves she just keeps on bothering us said said well send her away and Jesus called the woman to him and she said Master my daughter is grievously vexed with the devil and and I would you please heal my now she's a Canaanite she's not of the faith and Jesus said lady it is not me to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs now how would you feel if you came up to your pastor and say Pastor I would like for you to come and pray pray for my daughter he' say I don't deal with dogs H You' probably decide you wouldn't come back anymore I'd find me another the church but she said true Lord she used the word TR true yes I I understand what you're saying when you say that it's not meat to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs but she said the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their mouth master's table I'll be a dog if you'll be my master and let me get the crumbs that fall from your table so when we're talking about a living dog is better than a dead lion uh let me in all the Bible the above verse seems to be the most positive thing that I can find concerning a dog it seems a small compliment to say that a living dog is better than a dead lion but we'll get to that a little later but for now let's concentrate on there is hope let's skip down to verse seven Ecclesiastes 9 go thy way eat thy bread with joy now notice what he's saying go your way and eat your bread with joy I had a friend on the police force several years ago was my friend for many years in fact he attended our church more than his own home church and and and uh he he he would say Billy there are some folk can't be satisfied they'd cry with a hem meat on their shoulder and that meant that they just could not be satisfied now uh Solomon is saying go your way and eat with joy now there's a scripture that said there's folks that because of their offense and and being offend said they never eat a satisfactory meal they're they never can enjoy what they eat because there's something eating on them that keeps them from enjoying their meal but what the what Solomon is saying is now then let go and and and eat your meat with joy uh don't don't be feel don't feel condemned or feel bad because this time of year we get together with our families and and we eat and we have a he said do that now the Bible said it's more blessed to give than to receive now he's Solomon is talking about God and his children do you like for your children to enjoy themselves oh yeah oh yeah don't tell sister Kelly this but sister M Snick some a little chocolate drop every now and then and said afid that's going to eat their teeth out and she slips some little goodies and she brings little things to to church and because she just loves to see them smile when when they're pleased we've got a little little plastic uh uh table a little plastic box sets beside a little uh a record player at our house and I put one of our uh uh children's records on we made years ago about I'm a promise I'm a possibility and I'm a promise with a cetop p and and and and old old Kell away he heard that and he climbed up on that uh little plastic box and he started dancing and clapping his hands and we had to watch him to keep him from falling off now do you think I enjoyed that you better believe I did he comes to our house he looks like some there he can't talk yet but he starts pointing to that record player and when I start that record he climbs up on that box and he starts his little dance and here he goes do you think I yes I enjoy that what I am saying is God wants you to be happy he don't want you to go around moping and sad all the time go ahead and give the Lord a hand clap The Story Goes a little boy ask his grandpa said grandpa said why do you look so solemn all the time he said Son I've got religion and I'm a serious person and so the next day was out the barn and there's an old mu with his head sticking over the fence and the little boy looked at that mu looked back at his grandpa and said Grandpa our music is Chuck Chuck full of religion ain't he look how much listen a sad look don't indicate that you have got religion I don't the Bible said the thoughts of foolishness of sin but it also said a merry heart doeth good like a medicine we shouldn't go around all the time depressed and worried and trouble we need to eat our food with joy well it's Christmas time and it's a good time to get together and while the the some folks will abuse this they we certainly don't want to abuse it but enjoy your family enjoy being with them enjoy enjoy exchanging gifts it's there's nothing there's nothing wrong with it Go thy way eat thy bread with joy verse eight says let thy garments be always white and let thy head lack no ointment well I looked at that and I've got I guess 20 different versions of the Bible in my uh laptop I prefer the King James version but I begin to check that one out and several versions of the Bible says let your garments be clean and put a dash of cologne on I thought well that's not a bad interpretation either some folks especially in the day we're living in it needs to be looked at wear clean clothes and put a little perfume on and that really goes good for folks that pray around the altar it don't hurt to carry a a roll of of breath Min with it if you're going to pray with somebody be sure you haven't gone to the Mexican restaurant or the the Italian restaurant and and doed up on garlic before you get in somebody's face and start to pray and for as a matter of fact show enough courtesy that you said wear clean clothes and put a little dash of cologne on then verse N9 says live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of thy vanity which he hath given thee Under the Sun all the days of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life and in thy labor which thou takest Under the Sun 10 years ago I left my wife in four teenagers to marry my secretary with whom I'd been having an affair I felt I couldn't live without her when my wife found out about us she went to Pieces we we were divorced my wife went to work and did a good job educating the boys I gave her the house and part of my retirement I'm fairly happy with my second marriage but I'm beginning to see things in a Different Light it hit me when I was guest at our eldest son's wedding that's all I was a guest I'm no longer considered part of the family my first wife knew everyone present and they sh showered her with affection she married she remarried and her husband has been taking uh taken inside the circle that was once ours they gave the rehearsal dinner that sat next and he sit next to my sons and their sweethearts I was proud to have a young pretty wife at my side but it didn't make up for the pain when I realized that my children no longer love me they treated me with courtesy but there was no affection or real caring I miss my sons especially around holiday times I'm going to try to build some bridges but the prospects don't look very promising thanks for your attention dear an Landers let me tell you something fellas he said enjoy your wife the devil will show you there uh when you're out in the work a day world you meet around the water cooler are there somebody that'll give you the eye and this goes two ways male and female but let me tell you something he said to enjoy the wife of your Youth and and if the devil can get you to look and make you think that you can start a new life let me tell first of all don't marry unless you're really and truly in love find some the Bible said being on unequally yolked together with unbelievers find somebody that believes the truth and make sure that you fall in love and then when you stand before the Altar and you say I do when they says I promise to love you until death th do part you need to mean that and I want to tell you something there's Give the Lord a hand clap you can call this m philosophy now but I've got a little story I say that we we have beautiful decorations for our weddings and we've got candles and we've got streamers and we've got all kind of things and everybody's looking pretty and that's that's great but I said sometimes I think we might want to put some broom handles and mop handles and ho handles and great handles on the end of the pews and and have a car payment book set on one and the house payment but because those things are going to come and you better expect it it's going to happen but if you enter listen sister mol and I came to Knoxville in 195 57 and um we we lived on a house trailer they we we borrowed money to by didn't have a septic tank and and didn't we'd get up every morning and go to brother and sister McKenna's house to use the bathroom and finally we got embarrassed with that so we'd go up the uh Oakridge Highway was just a two-lane road at that time and we'd find us a different and they had service stations back then they don't have service stations anymore I got self you drive through and do your own service but H and we use a a different uh uh service station about every day and but let me tell you that lady stayed with me when we didn't have a a toilet in AR in our house trailer but our love was just as real and just as precious and right in the middle of that sister mul got sick throwing up up and she got worried and she went up to Sister McKenna's house and says sister mckenny I think I'm poisoned so I'm sick every morning I'm throwing up every day and sister mcken listened to a little bit and then she looked back at her and grin and said yeah honey I think you're poising too you better go have a pregnancy test and right when we needed him the least when we didn't need another mouth to feed right when Mark decided to make his entrance into our life when we didn't even have a workable restroom in a house trying to but let me tell you something Solomon said love the wife of your youth I'm going to love her all the days of my life through the good through the bad through the thick and the thin She's mine and hers and I want you to know I love her more today than I ever did now what I am trying to say live joyfully I never heard her complain never heard to say I'm so sorry I married such a a a provider as you that can't even provide me with a home with a with a restroom in never heard her say that she said where you go I'll go and she's been by my side for 67 years and let me tell you young folks you can have that kind of marriage if you pray about it and you get the right person live with that wife of your youth the Bible say all the days of your life all right what's that got to do with a living dog well we get to that and then it says whatsoever thy hand find to do do it with thy might yeah for there's no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave where you're going now some folks one fell said I don't mind working I just hadn't found anything I like to do some fellas wouldn't be happy working in a Pie Factory tasting pies I just hadn't found anything I like to do whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy mind we were in a Walmart store many years ago in Memphis Tennessee and uh you know it's a big big store and people were Milling around and I I I suddenly got the realization that there was something going on special and well they they don't have anything special at Walmart other than prices and things and I looked around and there was a fellow that had driven up in front of Walmart and a it was a uh the early days of the SUVs it was a I think it was a Bronco or Chevrolet little uh SUV but it was clean as a pin he got out of that and he had his bucket he had his uh uh squeegee he had all the material to wash the windows and he he got out and he got on his ladder and he started washing the windows and he would give it this and he and you would think he was directing a symphony oh he looked like he was enjoying what he did and and and he was doing it with such Grace that that store actually came to a stand and folks begin to gather around and cheer him as he was washing windows what whatsoever your hand findeth to do do it with your mind if you're a mechanic and joy if you clean houses do it with joy if you work on an assembly line do it with joy I guess brother L Lee we used to call him The Lovable slave driver his son is still with us and other members of his family but I remember he made work look like fun he actually went at it in such a way that it was such a joy and I remember one Christmas uh we went to Johnson City to see sister mul's family and we scattered here and there Y and I came back and brother Lee had his children uh right here on in the the uh the what's it now the Event Center they they were out there raking gravel and getting ready to pour concrete he had them working on Christmas day and they were acting like they enjoyed listen a living dog is better than a dead line if you're alive to the situation if you're going to work enjoy what you do let us enjoy the Comforts of Life while we live and cheerfully take our share of the joys Solomon having been himself ens snared by the abuse of overindulgence he's directing all others to be sober and moderate we may use the world but we must not abuse the world we should enjoy ourselves enjoy our friends our families enjoy our God enjoy our worship we must serve god with gladness and not allow ourselves to be oppressed and worried all the time now I'm talking about alive to some things that you need to be alive to we don't need to go through this life worried about things that may never happen you need to find the Bible said the joy of the Lord is our strength you wonder why we Apostolic folks are happy the joy of the Lord is our strength we work and we're happy we fellowship and we're happy we eat and we're happy we have a we we enjoy life because the Lord wants us to enjoy life just like I enjoy putting that record on and watching o Callaway do his his little step don't you know the Lord when he looks down and see us gathered around this place and they these little ones they've all got their own little dance and do you think the Lord's not happy to see that he said it's more blessed to give than to receive the lord loves a cheerful giver and when we give him our praise we're making the Lord happy and the Lord is happy to see you happy circumcision was that Covenant between God and Abraham but remember this all others were considered dogs the scripture concerning the Canaanite woman I told you about that now let me give you another scripture Revelation 22:14 blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gate into the city now that's quite an incentive to live for him isn't it now let me read it again blessed are they that do his Commandments now we're talking we're reading from Revelation 22:14 blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the oh got right to the I I'll take it I yes I'll take it and may enter in through the gates into that City what blessed hope we have having the incentive to live right they've got a right to the tree of life that they may enter in through the gates and the gates of pearl incidentally into that City but wait hold on a minute there's another verse for without are dogs and Sorcerers and hor mongers and murderers idolators and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie wait wait a minute he said dogs don't enter in you're just dogs just don't get in hor mongers they don't get in your stop a a dog will never know what it is to walk on streets of gold a dog has no concept whatsoever of gates of pearls all those are out there outside the Covenant God made with Abraham no the dogs will stop right there the lonely dog has no realization of a Hereafter the Tree of Life streets of gold Rivers of Life the beauties of Heaven A Tree of Life whose fruits are for the healing of the Nations they have no hope of that whatsoever but I was made to think of that last month the 17th of November I read a story and I'd like to show you something if you show him on the screen for me please a faithful dog who survived after spending more than 10 weeks by his owner when he died on a mountain hike is safely back with the rest of his human loved ones and back on the trails the family has said Rich Moore 71 of Pagosa Springs Colorado died of hypothermia while hiking in the San Juan mountains in the south of the state in August the body of the Aging hiker had been missing since August ever since then until it was discovered by a hunter on October the 30th who was surprised also to find that man's little dog was not only with her master but was still alive 10 weeks the jack russell dog named finny was reportedly very protective of Moore's body she had lost about half her body weight and her ribs were visible officials have said Moore and Finny set out to climb blackhead Peak on August the 19th a rugged Mountain East of Pagosa Springs but didn't return home a dayl long search between the peak and his vessel was unsuccessful now finny is doing well Moore's wife Dana Hobie told the Associated Press on Thursday she has gained almost all her weight back and her strength is almost where it was she is the miracle dog she does have an injury on her snout that might leave a scar ho he said she's now three years old very clingy that's an actual picture of Penny on the screen and will not let me out of her sight homie said her ravenous appetite has Cal down but At first she could not get enough to eat and wanted food all the time the day and night finny's Survival Story has made her famous on the hiking trails around Pagosa Springs Hobie said people say is that finny to which Hobie responds with an enthusias yes she is such a comfort to me and a great companion on Hikes covering four to five miles a day I know that she was with Rich to the very end and somehow now that should be a comfort I don't know how she did it but she was there when he needed her HBY said now the same day I read this story about finny there was another story on my laptop that was news let's see the next picture please missing Kentucky girl four found murdered as suspect close to her accused of deadly betrayal the caregivers of a missing Kentucky girl are in custody after the body of a four-year-old CL uh Chloe Darnell was recovered the Whitley County Sheriff's Department announced Friday the caregivers of missing Kentucky girl are in custody they have been charged with murder and abuse of a corpse yes there are those Among Us who have all the medical signs of being alive but they're dead they must be dead to any human feelings to mistreat a child October 13 1976 47 years ago I was awakened by my clock radio with the news account of a happening which brought me to the side of my bed both feet on the floor my face and my hands weeping profusely that was 47 years ago I'm still haunted with the news of that story October 13 1976 the torture took place from Tuesday morning to her death on Wednesday it apparently began because on Monday night four-year-old Melissa had a troubled night difficult sleeping and wet her bed her stepfather mad forced her to lay on the floor the rest of the night in her urine soaked clothes the next day he vowed to get the stiffness and laziness out of her that morning he started the death march making her walk from the girl's room to the kitchen back again yelling at her to walk he'd hit her whenever she went by and when she slowed down he hit her and make her walk faster he finally insisted she Trot on her toes he decided he'd teach her a lesson by forcing hot sauce by the tablespoonsful into her mouth she had throw up Wanda madx her mother said he did this seven or eight times and used up the entire bottle she was crying and when she tried to sit on the stool he hit her some more finally he moved her mattress to the floor of the living room and let her go to sleep the next morning she was dead that mother and stepfather both died in prison now let us compare the former news story with one more dog story the Los Angeles Times ran a story about an aale dog whose owner lived near San Angelo Texas shortly after midnight he awakened the family barking furiously scratching at the door he was just in time for the ranch house was on fire no fire department was available and the fire had gained great Headway when the family neighbors were made aware of the disaster by this faithful dog all the family were safely outside in the burning and the dog was running from one to the other seeming to feel that he must protect them from this Menace when the oldest boy decided to get the car out of the garage fearing this building also might be destroyed the dog missed the boy he ran wildly through the group of people barking piously seeming to feel that someone was in great danger the people tried to comfort him but he would not be comforted he would look into their faces By the Light of the Blazing Timbers and whine then he would look toward the building all at once this dog leaped into the burning furnace and in a few seconds time the building collapsed however he had undoubtedly made the stairway before the crash of the falling for when the Embers cooled they found his charred bones and the spot that proved that he reached the door of that boy's room before he died by this by his side lay the hardware that belonged to that door yes there are human beings without Christ who could not come up to a dog's level of love and compassion for their Master Ephesians 49 who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness ladies and gentlemen without God if you allow yourself to indulge you don't know what you are capable of doing 1 Timothy 5:6 but she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth Revelation 3:1 and to the angel of the church and sardus right these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the Seven Stars and Know Thy works that thou H has a name that thou livest and are dead Ephesians 2 1-5 and you hath it quickened now here's the good part and you who he ha quickened who were dead who were dead you you you you who were quickened who were dead in the trespasses of sin wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world according to the prince the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of Disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the mind and were by Nature the children of Wrath even as others but God who is rich in Mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sin ha quickened us together with Christ by grace are ye saved if eesan 5:14 wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepeth and arise from the dead and Christ shall give you [Applause] life see then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is and be not drunk with the wine wherein his success to be filled with the spirit speaking we're coming alive now we were dead we were moping we had all kind of sin in our life Bible said and such were some of you speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs sing a little louder sing a little louder I am who I am because the I am tells me who I am I've got a new song I've got a new life I've raised from the dead oh these bones are going to rise again these dead bones speaking to yourselves in hymns and spiritual songs singing Melody making melody in your heart in the Lord Jeremiah 179 now here's what's in you you and me the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked that's what we are that's what we are but let's go to Colossians 2:9 now remember the difference is they were in the Covenant of circumcision even over the New Testament when Paul spoke against the doctrine of being saved by circumcision had Timothy circumcised as they went on Evangelistic tour so as Not to cause any confusion Colossians 2:9 through verse 16 for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily and you're complete in him which is the head of all principalities and powers and whom all also in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in the putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of well now when was I C when was I circumcised when was I performed the the ordinance of circumcision according to uh the the agreement between God and Abraham here it is putting off the flesh putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptism wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who ha raised him from the dead and and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him him having forgiven you all trespasses blotting out the handwriting of ordinance that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross oh Hallelujah I'm in the Covenant I'm in the Covenant because I've been circumcised with a circumcision not made with hand when I went to that water and they buried me in the Wonder Wonderful Name of Jesus that was the circumcision of Jesus Christ that was made without hands and we're going to have that tonight some we had had that today old drum was a fox hound known for his speed and durability he was said to be the best Fox Hound in Johnson County Missouri on the summer day in 1870 he was found dead with a bullet wound in the head he was found near the property of a man named horn horby there was considerable evidence that Hornsby had killed the dog old drums owner charles Burton went before the Justice of the Peace of warrenburg County filed suit he lost the suit appealed it then appealed it again before the state Circuit Court there the case was tried before a jury judge Wright presided Francis Cel and Thomas critton represented the defendant Hornsby cochell and critton were well-known attorneys cochrell was later elected to the US Senate and critton was to become governor Missouri the pl of Burden was represented by Colonel Wells blogett a local attorney loged felt the odds were stacked against him because of the fame and experience of the opposing attorneys and besides they each knew a member of the jury personally Colonel loget learned that George gr vest an attorney with great forensic skills was in the courtroom on another legal matter and asked him to help as special counsel vest loved dogs and agreed to assist in the case judge R wrapped his gavel the case of Burden versus Hornsby commenced Cal and critton appeared confident as they spoke briefly of the defendant speaking flippantly of the little value of a dog little realizing they had given vest the very opening he needed with eyes V fixed on the jury vest spoke as follows gentleman of the jury the best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy his son our daughter whom he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful those who are nearest and dearest to us Those whom we trust with their happiness and good name may become traitors in their faith the money that a man has he may lose it flies away from him perhaps when he needs it most a man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action the people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the Stone of malice when failure settles us Cloud Upon Our Heads the one absolute unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog gentleman of the jewry a man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty and health and sickness he'll sleep on the cold ground where the winry wind blows and the snow dries fiercely if only he can be near his master's side he'll kiss the hand that has no food to offer he'll lick the wounds and sores that come in contact with the roughness of the world he guards the sleep of his PO Master as if he were a prince when all other friends desert he REM RS when riches take wings and reputation Falls to Pieces he is in constant he is constant in his love as the son is in his journey through the heavens if Fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world friendless and homeless the faithful dog ask no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against the dangers to fight against his enemies and when at last the scene all comes the death takes his master and it's Embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground no matter if all other friends pursue their way there by the graveside will be the noble dog he found his be found his head between his paws his eyes sad but open and alert watchful faithful and true even to death years after when he assumed the governorship of Missouri critton remembered best speech quote it was the most perfect piece of attorney ever heard from P Pitter bar said K I looked at the jury and they were all in tears the foreman wept as one who had just lost his best friend the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the dog's owner old drum it was from this case that originated that saying a dog is man's best friend and yet the Bible said dogs can't come be this gate they're outside they have no idea no realization you're the only God they have now I don't have any great personal stories of dogs but I'll tell tell you this there's two stories and I've closed and the musicians can get ready I was coming home from the hospital visiting on a Saturday I got a frantic call and it was Ashley she said Papa where are you I said well I'm coming from the hospital she said come to the house quick please said there's there's something wrong with our dog I want you to pray for him I came home and what was his name Murphy when I got there he was laying limp he looked like he was dead he couldn't get up laying just like a dish rag there Ashley and Anthony they loved him dearly and so did brother Mark Jamie so I went in and I knelt and I said God these children love this little dog they love him dearly Lord would you see fit to touch his body give him just a little more time that they can get used to the idea of losing him and it'll make it easier on them dogs may not go beyond the Pearly Gates but while I was praying for that little dog Murphy he began to wiggle he'd been laying there like a dead he got up and wobbled and they gave him something to eat and within 30 minutes he was running around over that floor don't you tell me God Don't Love Dogs they may not enter the Pearly Gates but I want you to know God and it was about a week later he went down the hall and fell dead instantly but I asked God to let him live just long enough that the children get used to it Mark's first dog's name was Rick we was going out in a Revival and we asked we had to do something with he was great old big dog and uh brother in the church said I'll take him uh Jean wadell he live way down in way down in the country he said I'll take care I've got a fenced in lot in the back of my house and I'll put him in that fence he'll be safe and when we got back after a week's of Revival or so I called brother wadell to thank him he said oh brother mul I am so sorry he said I hate to tell you this but said that dog hadn't been to my house just overnight till he dug out under that fence and he's gone he's not here I said brother wadell don't worry about it when I came home he was laying on my front porch I wish there some church folks that knew how to get back to church as good as Rick knew how to get back home now then what I'm going to say to you I've told you all these stories the dog has no realization of streets of gold but he does have a realization of love and loyalty and standing by someone he loves now the Bible don't say that his heart is desperately wicked but he says that ours is and now then the Lord said but I've got a hope for you I'm going to change that heart yours I'm going to take that old Heart of Stone out and give you a heart of Flesh and he said I'm going to allow you to be baptized in my name and you're going to be a brand new creature would you stand to your feet with me right now hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah as they're getting ready for baptism I'm going to ask you that are standing here tonight I've told some gruesome things tonight that don't leave you happy but it should leave you thankful that you've been changed that you're what you were you're no longer that it don't matter who and what he makes you a brand new creature the Bible calls it being born again when you're baptized in that water in Jesus name you go down in that name and he washes those sins and the the Bible said he cast your sins in the depths of the sea to remember them against you no more now I don't remember the Lord has a good way of help help me to forget things somebody just recently I forget who it was there was something they was worried about they' done in the past and all this I don't remember who it was thank you Lord I don't but I want to tell you something when you repent of your sins the Bible said there's some things is not one time to be mentioned again when you ask God to forgive you again the Lord says for what that's right if you remember your sins you got a better memory than God has because he said he would remember them against you no more cast out that demon of Torment that's trying to torment you for what you have been what you are now is a brand new creature you have no past all you've got is a future a newborn baby has no past it only has a come right now as you gather around and thank him for what he's done for you and if you if you're not saved if you have come and turn it over to the Lord right now would you come right now I a living dog is better than a dead lion God's taken our lives and what we were we're no no longer we are a new creature in Christ Jesus Oh Hallelujah as we're getting ready for baptism let's worship him right now thank him for who he is and thank him for who you are for what he's done would you love him right now give the Lord Praise love him right now thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Jesus Jesus