I Will Never Leave the Church | Rev. Cody Updegrave

I love you oh magnify the Lord with me let us exalt his name together come on could we just love Jesus here just for a moment come on I just for a moment here I feel the presence of the Lord would you just lift your hands and open your mouth and say Lord I love you thank you for your presence here tonight thank you Jesus thank you Jesus I want to say it is so good to be here in mville Tennessee and um this is as of yesterday this was my first time uh ever stepping foot into this into this building and uh um heard all the stories of the marville miracle and what God what God did and what a beautiful place of worship that you have and um what a what a church uh that would give and that would sacrifice and obey the voice of the Lord and I honor you tonight as the body of Christ and we have had such a great it's been I guess it's been about 36 hours that uh we've been together we've had such an amazing time with with these young people and um uh I I don't I don't say this to to flatter you I don't say this to for any other reason than to let you know you have some amazing students you have some of the greatest young people they are hungry for the things of God they are they desire to be to know why they do what they do and why they live the way that they live and I honor these students tonight and I'm so thankful for what God has done and and I want to say how thankful I am for uh pastor and sister Hammond and um the people that they are they have been uh friends uh to us and um but beyond that he's been an example um uh to many and um he is uh in my book doing youth ministry the way youth ministry ought to be done and teaching young people why we do what we do why we believe what we believe I I appreciate and I'm thankful for the moves of God and we've got to have them but more than that we've got to understand why we believe the way we believe I'm glad I know who Jesus is I'm glad I know why we baptize in the name of Jesus I'm glad I know that there's only one God and I'm thankful for leaders who will Who Will indoctrinate and and teach the word of the Lord without adding without taking away I'm thankful for that I really am and uh I want to say how thankful I am for pastor and sister Carpenter tonight and um I'm grateful are you thankful for your pastor amen I have watched from afar for a long time and uh I want to say thank you for your consistency and being the man of God that you are and thank you for being normal and and and and attainable and um you make you make Ministry attainable and uh I want to say thank you for that and it's been it's just been such such a great week I don't want to take too long but to Nolan and Flanery and the baby to come it's been so good to be with them I told them I offered them advice they didn't even ask for it I've got three boys two boys and a bobcat actually but uh I offered them advice they didn't even ask for it I said you need to go take a nap right now that was my advice and that's good advice and uh all the parents are saying amen am amen and uh so I honor them it's uh just so good you're your principal brother solivan uh what an amazing what an amazing man so thankful for him so thankful for him I give honor to the Ericson tonight give honor to our family the holding that are here I love you all amen I want to turn your attention to Ruth chapter 1 and verse one and while you're turning there I um I really do believe that God can do something tonight I know that you've worked all day you've worked hard all week and um I know that but um brother Hammond you didn't bring me here for a youth teaching series you brought me here for a youth Revival and I have just felt and seen God revive some things and stir some things in these young people and I believe that tonight is going to be no different so I know that you've worked all day but I I just believe that God wants to do something special in this building tonight Ruth chapter 1 and verse one the Bible says now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled and there was a famine in the land and a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab he and his wife and his two sons verse two says and the name of the man was IMC turn to your neighbor say IMC you probably haven't said that name this week so turn to somebody else say IMC any imc's in the house just check him the name of his wife Naomi the name of his two sons Maan and chilon ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah and they came into the country of Moab and continued there they came into the country of Moab in IMC Naomi's husband died and she was left in her two sons and they took them wives of the women of Moab the name of one was orpa name of the other Ruth and they dwelt about 10 years Maan and chilon died also both of them and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband you don't have to turn there but I want to read one portion of scripture Psalms 27:4 when one thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple I want to preach to you on this Wednesday night on this subject I I'm I'm going I'm I'm I'm looking for some young people to make a covenant tonight I'm looking for some students and maybe some adults in this building tonight that'll make a covenant my title tonight is this I will never leave the church I will never leave would you lift your hands I I feel the Holy Ghost just moving in here Lord I pray in the name of Jesus I feel you oh God I thank you for what I feel Lord tonight I'm asking you oh God that your word would Pierce God that your word would do exactly what you wanted to do tonight I I pray Lord that you would draw young people to a covenant tonight God to a commitment to a choice Lord to a decision to serve you for the rest of their life Lord I'm asking you oh God to have your way and do exactly what you want to do in this place in Jesus name and everybody said amen would you clap your hands to the Lord oh somebody add your voice to that I'm expecting God to do something great here tonight hallelujah amen God bless you you may you may be seated I will never leave the church now I I want to start a little bit different this is youth Revival tonight so I need I need you to I need you to be in youth Revival with me tonight if you would I would like for you to stand if you have grown up in church if you grew up in church would you please stand okay thank you you may be seated if you have ever been in a deep sleep in Church would you stand mhm confession time now mhm why is it that there is no better sleep than that I I've never seen my boys I mean mouth open slot something about the church stand if you have ever been accidentally left at the church oh my my children are standing tonight for a reason we got a phone call Lauren got a phone call from Sister bound she said uh your kids are are here and uh we were not stand if you have ever had an awkward moment in a church hallway some of y'all are like what does that even mean let's talk about this for a second have you ever said hello too early in a church hallway you some of you know what I'm talking about right now some of you don't yet you I'm I'm sure you do you have any of those big long hallways in Zanesville we've got we've got a couple big long hallways and and somebody will be at this side of the hallway and somebody will be all the way at the other end of the hallway and you'll say hello the other person will say hello the other person will say how are you and fine how are you fine and your preliminaries are done and you've still got 30 feet you know what I'm talking about you've got 30 feet of just just walking toward them just staring at them you're like this is the most this is the worst moment you know what I'm talking about stand young people this is well never mind I'm not going to do that one stand let's let's flip this a little bit stand if you received the gift of the Holy Ghost in church remain standing if you received a word from God at the church remain standing if God called you at the church remain standing if God has healed you at the church I want to take a minute for This truly if God has healed you remain standing look around remain standing if you were baptized at the church remain standing if the church has ever prayed for you listen I I I know that that that at sometimes awkward things and uh you know there's people at the church you're at the church so the church ain't perfect you hear me I know that there's stuff sometimes that happen at the church but let me just tell you there is nothing like the church there is nothing like the church it's not perfect there's dumb stuff that happens but there is nothing like the church because he died for the church Acts chapter 20 you can be seated Acts chapter 20 Paul instructed he said feed Le the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood oh yeah the church is an amazing thing because God died for the church oh yeah Matthew 16 and 18 he told Peter he said I say to you Thou Art Peter and upon come on you know it and Upon This Rock I will be build my chur church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against it there's nothing like the church Ephesians 5 tells us that there is a day coming where he is going to present himself a glorious church because there's nothing like the church ladies and gentlemen I know that stuff happens in the church but you better hear me there is nothing like the church he died for the church he bled for the church come on he he paid the price uh so that in this day and in this hour there would be a church uh that believes uh in his word uh that stands for him oh yeah yeah I feel something right here he he died for a church uh that wouldn't change as culture changed he didn't die for a church that would bend as as the culture bent its way uh but when he paid the price uh for a church he said I'm coming back for a people without spot without wrinkle he said I'm coming back for a church that has made themselves ready ladies and gentlemen you better be thankful and I know you are you better be thankful for a church that believes and preaches the truth I'm not going to be judged according to my preferences I'm not going to be judged according to my desires I'm going to be judged according to this book and every day you wake up you ought to be thankful for a church that doesn't add to and doesn't take away but preaches the infallible un adultery changing anointed and settled word of God there is nothing like the church you've got to make a decision there's some young people that you've got to make a decision and maybe even adults here today you've got you've got to make a decision am I going to leave or am I going to stay there is a day day coming where Mom and Dad will not escort you to church there is a day coming very soon where you will not be woken up out of a deep sleep put your clothes on eat a quick bite and come to church and just figure out who your name your name is and what day it is by the time they get to the second song There's coming a day when it's going to be just up to you and you ought to make the decision right now no matter what happens no matter where I go no I will never leave the church we have a we have a um a Hall of Fame coach in our in our in in our church and he's a very well known in our city he's amazing man coach Apperson is his name and he's he's elderly now and I'll let you determine what age that is but uh he he's an amazing man and he and uh he was asked the question what what are what's something that you did that that contributed to to your success as a coach and he made a statement that's so profound and I think it applies to us here tonight he said if I could point to one thing that that made me successful he said most of the decisions I made Pastor Carpenter most of the decisions that that I made as a coach were made before I got to the field he said before I got into the game before I got into the Heat of the Moment and the emotion of the game and in the middle of the situation he said the best thing that I could have done is I made decisions before I got to the field I made the decision before I got to the situation if you wait until the situation comes to make your decision whether or not you're staying in the church you have waited too long right you have waited too long I I I I I I just there you're not too young to make a decision right now that's going to affect you for the rest of your life you're not too young you're not too young to make a decision right now that that that you said I'm not leaving no matter what happens no matter what comes and young people you better hear me you ought to make the decision before this night is over that I before you get to the field before you get to the situation before you get to the problem and the trouble because it happens it comes to us all it rains on the just and on the unjust you need to make the decision now no matter what comes I am not going to leave the church my opening text we we read with within five verses jump jump into Ruth one with me if you would for a moment in five verses we read about the beginning and also the ending of a family ALC was a man from the tribe of Judah he had a wife they me and he had two sons maon and chilon any maons and chons here tonight nobody's looking around that was supposed to be funny that wasn't funny thank you for that sympathy life they lived in Bethlehem Bethlehem as you know means the house of the House of Bread and you hear so here you have a man you have a dad D that was born in the tribe of Praise Judah he was born in the tribe of Praise in the town of Bethlehem my what a place to be born he was born in Judah and lived among God's people immc grew up in the church he he grew up around the church he grew up around praise and he grew up around the house of bread he knew what it was like to be faithful to the house of God and faithful in his service to God but but you and I know very well just because you are in church or just because you grew up in church does not mean you are actually in church yeah yeah you you can be a warm body here you can be present you can be present on the Pew but you can be absent from this body oh yes you can we all know and understand good and well just because you check off your church attendance box doesn't make you a part of the church it's a step and we ought to be faithful to the house of God but it is by far not all that is required of us being at the church does not mean you are really in the church because here and here's the teller on a Lim because here's what happened at the first sign of trouble famine the food dried up at the first sign of adversity IMC said I'm going to Moab at the first sign of something that went wrong IMC said I'm going to Moab now now understand with me Moab was a terrible place it was a sinful place it was an ungodly place it was a place that was birthed out of an incest relationship between lot and his daughter and it was paganism and idol worship and all of this stuff all of this terrible stuff that happened and and IMC decided at the first of adversity that I'm leaving Bethlehem and going to Moab the moment it got hard IMC left not only did he leave he drug his family along with him what a tragedy to grow up among God's chosen people and leave when it looks like what you need isn't there what a tragedy to leave the house of bread isn't it isn't it amazing a famine in the House of Bread and at the first sign of trouble in the House of Bread he's gone and he really thought he would find in Moab or the world what he couldn't find in Bethlehem can I say a plane on this Wednesday y'all okay is everybody with me immc thought he would find in the world what he could not find find in the church but IMC did not find in the world what he was looking for out of the church he did not find something that would sustain his life he found something that would end his life because you will never go to Moab and leave with more than you came there with you will never go to Moab you will never go to the world and find what you are looking for so let me tell a young person Amen on this Wednesday night you ought to learn from other people's mistakes you ought to learn from somebody in this Sanctuary that left you ought to understand uh that what you're searching for you will never and can never find in the world that's why the Bible says in Colossians chapter 2 for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily watch and you are complete you're complete in him you are not complete in the world you are complete in him so if you feel incomplete you need to find more of him don't go to Moab get locked into Bethlehem don't go to the world jump into the church ALC went to Moab you will always get emptied in Moab immc dies in Moab his two sons Maan and chilon they they they live there in Moab and they marry moabites Ruth and orpa The Story Goes On and these just five short verses that both sons die they take their last breath in Moab Dad don't let your boys take the last breath in Moab don't you show them around in Moab don't you don't you take them don't you escort them out of Bethlehem the House of Bread to go dabbling some stuff in Moab no no no you better get them as plugged in as you possibly can in the things of the church because it's going to be the church that sustains them oh I need somebody to help me right now it's going to be the church that saves them the dad dies the boys die and now Naomi is left the result of a husband and father that decided to leave the church but Ruth 1 and six I'm so glad the story doesn't end there Ruth 1 and six Naomi caught wind she heard about some news that was stirring around in Moab God she heard some she heard some news of some stuff that was going on back in Bethlehem and the scripture says this this way when she then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab watch for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread when it looked like the church did not have what they needed when it looked like to IMC that the church oh there's a drought at the church but we're just not being fed here we just don't have a enough here when it looked like what he was looking for wasn't in the church he went to the world but Naomi caught wind God has visited his people in Bethlehem and he has given them bread in the middle of a drought in the middle of a famine young people you better hear me adults you better hear me tonight as I feel the Holy Ghost in This building when things get hard don't run to Moab pray that God would visit you when things get hard in the church don't go to Moab pray that God would provide what you need oh did he not say I have never seen the righteous forsaken did he not say that I have never seen his seed begging bread did he not say that I will be in you and I will be with you even until the end of the did he not say did he not say I will not leave you comfortless but I will come to you and teach you all things uh and bring all things come on somebody needs to be reminded in this room uh Bethlehem has what you need the church has what you you're not going to find it in Moab you're not going to find it in education you're not going to find it you're going to find it in the church you're going to find it in the house of God Naomi makes a decision I got to hurry she makes a decision to go home she makes a decision to go home like some of your babies are coming home they Omi makes a decision to go home and she makes a powerful statement in Ruth chapter 1 and verse 21 look at this with me Naomi said this she said I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty why then call you mean mean Naomi seeing the Lord had testified against me and Almighty had Afflicted me she she made a powerful statement she said she said she said I didn't realize it when I left I didn't I didn't understand it fully like I do now but when I left I left full I didn't know it I thought we were starving to death I thought we didn't have what we needed here but looking back when I left left I was full you may not realize it but you're full you're full of prayers that have been prayed over you from Generations past that you don't even understand you're full of people you're full of a pastor that has stood between you and God and that hell you've been dangling over you're full of an intercessory prayer that that pulled you off of that edge that pulled you may not real realize it but you are I know some of you are going through it I know some of you got some stuff against you but don't you ever forget that you're full oh yeah you're going to have some rain you're going to have some adversity but if he comes back tonight don't you forget he's going you're going to hear well done you may not realize it but you're full she said I didn't see it oh I y'all feel what I feel in this room she said I didn't realize it but I left full and she made another statement she said and I came home empty left full came home empty throw that verse back up there if you would but the powerful statement is right there in the middle Pastor Carpenter she said and I left I left full when I came home I came home empty and even though I didn't have anything to offer God God even though I didn't have anything to to give back return back to a god that that provided me and gave me and it sustained me and kept me I I I I I I didn't understand then but but but but I I I'm empty but but here's the statement the Lord has brought me home again can I just preach to somebody in this room that's on the bridge drink of coming back home you might not have anything to offer except sin and mistakes and failure and and trouble you might not have much to off you might be empty in reality but there is a very real God that is calling you home he is calling you home again come on prodal son you ain't had you don't have nothing you don't have anything to offer but the Lord I hear the father saying it's time to come oh if there's a prodal hearing me right now you better hear me you might not have anything to offer but God is calling you home again you might have left the church but God is calling you home you might have left the church in spirit oh I know how it is I've grown up in this thing been in this thing all my life I've come when I didn't feel like coming when I didn't want to come when I don't want to be a part of any of it I was here as a body and nothing else some of you have left in your mind and you have left in your heart but you hear me God is calling you home again God is calling you back to a relationship with him uh I know you don't have I need somebody to help me right here I feel something right here God is calling you home again God is calling you home don't ever don't ever young people don't ever leave the church make up in your mind today that you will never leave the church here's the reality of what we're facing tonight statistic IC say I want I want all the young people to stand up if you would all the young people even if you consider yourself young I don't care no don't stand don't stand just the young people statistics say in 10 years half of you will no longer be serving the lord I don't know how else to say it but statistics say in 10 years half of you will no longer be serving God look around half of you but I believe on this Wednesday night that this group of young people is greater than that statistic you don't have to be that statistic right I want you to see this I want you to see this I I want um I want everybody to stand if you are under the age of 25 please sit down if you sorry a lot of sitting and standing tonight sorry it's youth Revival I'm sorry I'll do better next I'll do better if you did not grow up in the church please please be seated so now standing are those that are over the age of 25 and have also grown up in church I want you to see this you have grown up in church if over half of the youth group that you grew up in is still in the church remain standing look at this look around young people over 1 two 3 4 five 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 13 people that half of their youth group over half of their youth group is still in the church 13 out of 300 400 tonight 13 of their youth group over half is still in the church young people you can beat that statistic you can beat that statistic you don't have to be I'm another one that's that's that's sitting down my half of my youth group is not I'm I'm just 33 and half of my youth group is no longer in the church anymore but young people hear me if you can make a decision right now you don't have to be a part of the statistic that hundreds were a part of tonight your group can be greater than that statistic come on I need some adults to believe and agree with that right now come on I need a mom and a dad to agree that my boy that my girl is not going to be a statistic they're not going to leave you can beat the statistics but but if be seated but but if if that statistic held my question to young people tonight and young adults tonight is if that statistic is true and if that statistic is so prevalent what is it going to be that makes you leave the church what will be the thing that causes you to take your last step into a church building there are some things that I have seen and learned that there are some very clear things there are some very clear things that happen that make young people leave the church you want to know why young people leave the church you want to know tonight I'm asking I'll tell you some reason why young people leave the church the first reason they leave the church is Mom and Dad's God never become their God right Absol yep reason number one why young people leave the church is because the god that that your mom and your dad or your guardian or whoever your youth pastor serve the god that they serve never becomes the god that you serve that's why that's why a ton of young people leave the church we've seen we've seen it over and over and over great mom great dad great family and son or daughter just walks away because their God never became my God young people if you're going to stay in the church for o for for the rest of your life then their God has to become your God you've got to know why you believe what you believe you've got to know why there's only one God you've got to know why we baptize in Jesus name you've got to know why we believe in Holiness and being separated from the world and coming out from among them you've got to know why you wear what you wear you've got to know why you talk the way you talk and don't go where you you've got to know why you've got to know why that's why you got a youth pastor and a pastor and a kids Pastor that is trying to put in you this is why we do what we do this is why we wear what we wear this is why we don't go there this is why we don't say that this is why we don't because their God has to become your God Ruth made a vow to Naomi she said I'm not Le leaving you she said entreat me not to leave you for wherever you go I will go wherever you Lodge I will Lodge your people will become my people and watch your God will become my God Ruth did more than just say I'm going to be a body that follows you she said your God is going to become my God that God that visited you in Bethlehem that God that provided bread if he did it for you he can do it for me if he did it for Mom and Dad he can do it for me come on I want some young people to agree with me that you're going to make a commitment tonight that their God is going to become your God come on ask your questions the truth can handle it ask your questions the truth has the answer number two reason the reason why young people leave the church is because they have an ungodly relationship or friendship yep it's the truth reason why all kinds of young people leave the church because they allow a friend in their life that's going away from a God that they're trying to follow you better hear me tonight T hodj is in my youth group we preached together we we sang together we worship together we love God together but I looked at him just three years ago in a casket at the front of the church drug overdose gone gone gone gone because there was a friend that he allowed in his life that was going away come on Jonah come on Jona come on you allowed a Jonah in your life that has caused storms in your life that don't even belong to you you allow somebody in your world that's going away from God and you have created storms in your life that weren't even meant for you weren't even intended for you they were never meant for you to go through but because you allowed somebody on your boat or in your life that was going away from God storms came in your life that swept you away and you took your last breath all because you got caught up with a friend with a boyfriend with a girlfriend young people if you want to stay in the church like you said you want to stay in the church then you are going to have to get every friend every relationship out of your life that is not pointing you in the direction of God get them out I don't care if they're in church if they're going away from God get them out of your life well Cody Cody I'm trying to win them to the Lord Cody if I'll stay connected to them I'll just I'll try to win them to the Lord seen that seen that the question you've got to ask in that scenario is who is influencing who oh yeah you got to ask the question who is influencing who am I really truly honestly influencing them or if I could be honest are they really influencing me you better ask the question in every relationship that you have who is influencing who and if they are driving you away from the Lord if you want to stay you better get them out of your life and if you will guess what God's got another friend God's got greater God's got better God's got more he's got a greater friend ship he's got a greater plan come on you got to trust God and you got to cut him off that's a reason why young people leave the church third reason why young people leave the church is because they reject truth here's how it works I need some Bibles may have a Bible here's some I'll come get it thank you you can sit down you can see here's here's just just keep your Bible out for me here's here's how truth works we we don't receive all the truth as soon as we get in this thing it comes it comes one at a time brother I'm still I'm still every day trying to learn and understand grasp more of Truth and we'll pick up along the way in our relationship with the Lord we we pick up the truth of of faith in God we we believe that there is a God and we believe that we we we can please God but we have faith and and we pick up the the truth of of of repentance we we believe repentance and if and if I will ask for forgiveness God is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins we pick up the truth of baptism we we see we see the truth of of baptism in Jesus name and we pick it up we we pick up truth of of being filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost and we pick up the truth of of of of of learning and growing and following and Desiring the sincere milk of the word and we pick up the truth of of of of of of of of not of not looking at that anymore and we and we pick up the truth does anybody else have a b we we pick up the truth of of not going there anymore and and we pick up the does anybody have some more Truth for me to pick up I know there's a bunch of Bibles in this we pick we pick oh now y'all are giving me too much truth we pick up the truth of of of of of of all of these things and where not to go and what not to do and and and we get to this one truth and and and and God says give me that God says God says stop looking at that God says get them out of your life he speaks the truth to you he speaks the truth to you and when you reject truth I've seen it over and over again here's how it works when you reject one you reject it all here's how it starts going well going there and being a part of that isn't all that bad I I can I can influence and I can I can do this and I don't I don't really need that anymore that's that's not a necessity that's not real clear I know I know my pastor says that and believes that but but I don't I don't really I don't I don't for too long it's it's it's well I I don't believe in all that holiness stuff and that we we got to do that and look that way and talk that way and act that way I I I don't really believe that that and one after another the truth that we picked up we lay back down and we walk away young people when Jesus presents a truth to you don't reject it I don't care how hard it is I don't care if he's asking you if he's asking you to get a flip phone I don't care what it is if you feel like it's too hard listen don't reject it that's right don't reject it don't rejected and say I could never do that I could never live that I felt something right there for a minute at some point we've got to come to grips with the scripture hang on hang on we've got to come to grips with the scripture that says if your eye offends you pluck it out at some point we're going to have to get to a place where we come to grips and and and get headon with the scripture that says if your eye offends you don't fast it for a little while don't get rid of it for a little he said pluck it out it's the word of God and it's the truth I'm telling you some of the best thing that somebody could do in this room somebody that's been struggling over and over and over and over come on you've got something offending you in your pocket you've got something offending you in your life if I had an open knife in my pocket and it kept cutting me I'd get it out of my pocket if there was something constantly hurting me and offending me I wouldn't just play around with it I'd get rid of it and some of you have made your bed with with something that is offending you it's not time I've hit a wall right here I'm GNA preach right through it it's not time for you to just play with it it's not time for you to just you need to pluck it out why because it's not worth my soul nothing nothing nothing is worth my soul what will a man give an exchange for his own soul what is it if you gain the whole world and you lose your own soul pluck it out don't reject truth if you reject truth you have made your commitment guaranteed at some point or another you're not saying don't reject truth young people people leave church all the time because they get offended offended offense makes people leave the church all the time don't get offended and leave the church you know what I've learned if somebody my P says this all the time if you correct a confident person they will be thankful and they will respond well but if you correct an insecure person they will take it as a personal attack that why are you saying that to me why are you coming against me like that I know where I'm at right now why are you coming again they're not coming against you they love you the father loves he chassen or he rebukes or he corrects who he loves if somebody corrects you don't fuss about it make it right and move on if someone corrects you you ought to thank God that you've got a voice in your life that is willing to have an uncomfortable conversation to correct you don't get offended stand with me all over the building music come another reason young people leave the church is because when they fall or when they fail they don't get back up when they make a mistake they don't get back up but you need to see the word of the Lord in Proverbs 24 and 16 throw it up there quickly for a just man that word just that word just means Godly that word just it means a Godly Man a godly man falls young people even godly people make mistakes just good people good people make mistakes but when that good person makes a mistake they don't stay in the mistake they come up out of that mistake you've got to believe the word of the Lord more than you believe your emotions of guilt and shame and and all of that you've got to reject all that and you've got to believe the word that God is willing and able to forgive me don't let a mistake take you out of the church get back up just man get back up God Godly young lady and follow God again the last reason I'll close here last reason why young people leave the church is because they've never made a vow never made a covenant with God never made a decision and no matter what happens I'm not leaving Ruth 1 and5 I've I've read it I've said it but I'll read it again Ruth said behold Naomi said behold thy sister-in-law she she went away she went back to her people unto her Gods go with her Ruth said Watch the watch the commitment watch the choice watch The Covenant Ruth made entreat me not to leave thee or return from following after thee for whether thou goest I will go whether thou lodgest I will Lodge thy people shall become my people and thy God they H me shall become my God where thou dest will I die and there will I be buried the Lord do so to me and more also if all but death part thee and me Ruth made a vow that I've never leaving honey I'd like for you to come up here if you would brother Hammond if you wouldn't mind you can start setting those things out thankful for my amazing wife my beautiful boys that are here tonight young people you better hear me before I ever made a vow to her for better for worse sickness and health mountains and valleys Rich for poor I'll live with you for the rest of my life so help me God before I had never made a vow to her I made a vow to him and I said Lord in sickness and health and Mountain and Valley and good and bad in plenty and drought no matter what happens I'm with you for the rest of my life before I ever made a vow to her I made a vow to him there's coming a day not too long from now where you'll stand at an altar and you'll make a vow a commitment to somebody that you will spend the rest of your life with but it is the will of God that you make a vow tonight that says I'm never going to leave the church here's what I'd like tonight I'd like the young people to come first I'd like for you to come out of your seat I'd like for you to grab a piece of paper and a marker adults if you would parents I'd like you to come second on that paper I want you to write if you're serious if you if you really mean it don't just write it because I'm telling you to write it but if you're serious about this thing I want you to write I will never leave the church I want you to sign it I want you to date it what's happening in this altar right now is so powerful like for the rest of the congregation to come behind if you would we're getting ready to pray when youve wrote that down hold it up in the air look at this look at this mom look at this Dad you can put it down we're going to start we're going to end this youth Revival where we started young people don't you ever forget when you make a choice when you have made a decision hell has lost its power there is nothing more powerful than a decision that you have made there is no thought stronger than a choice there is no emotion stronger than a choice there is no devil stronger than a choice there is nothing in this world that is stronger than your choice and when you have made your choice your Covenant with God hell has lost its power young people you hold True to this decision tonight you hold steadfast to this decision tonight you're going to look back on this night and remember when you're struggling I made a vow I'm never leaving and I'm not going to leave now I'm not leaving ever come on you've got to live by this vow that you're making tonight I want every as they begin to sing and as they begin to play uh I want some young people to lift your hands toward heaven and I want you to pray a prayer come on I don't want a plastic prayer tonight I don't want you to just go through words and motions tonight I want you to pray a prayer from the bottom of your heart God I'm not going to let anything uh cause me to leave the church yeah come on come on saints of God come on Mom come on dad come on look at this come on I'm getting that friend out of my life tonight I'm getting that bitterness out of my heart tonight it's not worth leaving the church over W oh yeah yeah I wish some parents would just sprinkle throughout these groups of young people right here come on there's something powerful going on in this altar come on every adult in this room represents somebody who stayed every adult in this room represents somebody who made a choice to stay come on you got something to pray over them tonight can in this I know God is Jesus oh chains are broken eyes are open in this Christmas in every heart a miracle a miracle can a god mirle oh yes Jesus I know jusus willus again heart this is broken great is Mir Mires oh yes oh yesus with Jesus Jesus Jesus eeve condre upon the profession of your faith fath and obedience to the word of God I now indeed baptize you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and thank the Lord you've already receiv received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in Jesus name May hold your bre a miracle can happen a mirle can happen A Mir can happen a a in this broken Mir in this place our great exended this chains are Broken Eyes Are Open heing p on this our great just one more time could you reach over and if you're close to a young person could you just put their hand put a hand on a shoulder and could we pray over our students in dismissal tonight Lord we thank you God we thank you for your word tonight God I pray over every student God that you heard their heart you heard their prayer tonight God that we made a covenant God we made a commitment to you oh God Lord I Thank You for their hunger I thank you for their desire oh God lord I pray that you would Forever stamp it on their mind stamp it on their heart tonight God that we are complete we are whole in you oh God God and everything we need is in the house of bread tonight Lord all that we need is in God is in you Lord Lord we thank you for your word tonight Lord we thank you for your word tonight we thank you for your word tonight what a presence of the Lord that we feel in this place