Just For Me

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon's captions — published in summary form; watch the full sermon at the source.

The text: Thomas wasn't there

The pastor is away and Phillips refuses the cruise control: "What a wonderful presence of the Lord that's in this house tonight. As you make your way back to your seats and turn with me to the Book of John chapter 20 — we will begin reading in verse 24. And while you're turning there, I want to say how honored I am to be back at the Rock. Man, I love this church. Now, I know how this works. I've been doing it long enough that when Pastor is not there and you have a visiting preacher, we kind of just put it in cruise control. The problem with that tonight is, I'm not a visiting preacher. And so this is a home for me when I'm on the west coast. I love this church so much, and so we're just going to have church tonight. Thank you for all seven of you. The rest of you, you'll catch up later. We're going to have church. Woo. Amen. Give honor tonight to the wonderful pastor of this assembly, and Bishop — Bishop Young and Bishop Wilson, the wonderful first family of this church. It is so unique to see what God is doing here. I believe that this church has set its course, and I just don't think that this building's big enough. 'Say, well, we ain't paid this one off yet.' Hey, listen, my God's got the cattle on a thousand hills. He can bless you to bless the kingdom. Amen. Amen. Book of John 20:24: 'Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them: Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.' I realized tonight that this isn't for everybody, but I know that this is for somebody. The Holy Ghost laid this on my heart today. I just want to obey the Holy Ghost. With your help and the help of the Lord, for the next few moments, I just simply want to preach: Just For Me. Just for me. Would you help me right now by lifting your hands to heaven and ask the Lord to help us? God, we love You. We thank You. We worship You, God. We give You glory. We give You honor. We give You praise. There's nobody like You, God. Nobody can do the things that You can do. I'm asking You, Lord, tonight, to have Your way from the front to the back, side to side. Let the anointing of the Holy Ghost saturate us, change us, and challenge us by Your Word. In Jesus' name we pray. Would you clap your hands unto the Lord tonight? And while you're clapping your hands, make it a Psalms 47 and 1 handclap: 'Clap your hands, all ye people, and shout unto God with a voice of triumph.' Amen. Look at your neighbor and tell them, 'Neighbor, sit down.' Hallelujah. As a Bible reader, I am often awestruck by the writings of the Apostle John, as John tells us what he has seen and what he has heard, with a poetic grace that is missing throughout the other Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I'm not saying that they're not called men of God, but there is a fluidity that follows and flows through the Book of John. One of the things that interests me — it's nothing new to Bible readers — but it's the fact that John records things that nobody else takes the time to record. Nobody else takes the time to write certain miracles and certain statements that Jesus would make. And it is from this perspective tonight that we extract a man from the text who is a disciple hidden in obscurity: Thomas, the man that we have dubbed 'the doubter.' If I was at home tonight, I'd say old Doubting Tom — old D. Tom. This man that we look at him, and when we see him from this perspective in Scripture, we like to liken him to people in the church that won't believe until they see the miracle, won't believe until they're holding the miracle, don't believe until the miracle has already taken place. Our opening text here tonight is the place that we are fully introduced to the Apostle Thomas from this perspective: 'Unless I see Him, unless I touch Him, I will not believe.' Forgive me tonight for taking my time and laying a little bit of a lengthy foundation. I promise I won't preach long. It's going to take me a while to start preaching."

Scriptures: John 20:24-25; Psalm 47:1

Every time Thomas speaks: a revelation, and a man afraid of being left

"But this place that we read of him here in John chapter 20 is not our first interaction with the Apostle John — or the Apostle Thomas, excuse me. The first record we have of Thomas asserting himself in conversation is found in the Book of John chapter 11. John is the only one that talks about Thomas to the extent beyond calling him a disciple. Matthew, Mark, Luke — they only mention him one time, and that is only to mention him as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. But here in John chapter 11, Thomas begins to speak. Lazarus is sick. The Bible says that his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent for Jesus. And however, Jesus does not come. Jesus does not go to where Lazarus is. And He begins to tell His disciples, 'Lazarus is sleeping.' And they say, 'Well, that's good. He's sick. He needs to rest. And maybe we can take him some chicken noodle soup or something.' I don't know. But they begin to talk amongst themselves: 'That's good, he's resting.' And then the Bible says that Jesus spoke plainly to them and said, 'Lazarus is dead, and I must go to him.' There is, in this picture, a little bit of a squabble going on between the disciples. And it is simply — they are trying to talk Jesus out of going back to Judea. They said, 'Lord, if You go back there, they might stone You.' Why would anybody want to stone Jesus? Well, the backdrop of the story is given to us in John chapter 10, as the Pharisees have come to Jesus and said, 'Show us and tell us who You are.' He said, 'I did, and you wouldn't listen to me.' He said, 'But I've come to the sheep of My Father's house, and My sheep know My voice.' He said, 'Because My Father has given them to Me, and no man can pluck them out of My Father's hand.' It is here that Jesus steps into the middle of their preconceived idea of what they thought the Messiah would be, and He made a statement that would ring out through eternity, and proclaim in John 10:30, that 'I and My Father are one.' Let me just pause right here today and tell you: I did not come to church to lift up my hand to worship God Junior. I'm not worshiping a God on a cross that sent His son to do His dirty work. But I came with a revelation that Jesus is the Father, Jesus is the Son, Jesus is the Holy Ghost. And all these three are One. 'Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made of Himself no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.' That's what made them mad — was the revelation that He stood up and said, 'I and My Father are one.' They wanted to stone Him. They wanted to shut Him up. But they could not stop Him from proclaiming, 'I am that I am. I'm the One who was, who is, and is to come.' Honey, if you can't get excited over one-God preaching, you need to get your Holy Ghost checked. Because that's what makes me get excited, when I understand: 'Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one.' Hallelujah. Woo. It made him mad. I don't mind saying this publicly: it's still making people mad today. Hallelujah. My brother-in-law and I — he flew out here with me to experience the west coast — and we were up in the Sequoias this week, and I seen someone that was dressed very holy. So I pulled over and I said, 'Hey.' And she looked at me kind of funny. I don't know if it was the accent, or she just wasn't used to people talking to her. I don't know. But I said, 'Hey, where do you go to church?' And you ask him — the first words out of her mouth was, 'I'm a Trinitarian.' She said, 'Just in case you get me confused with Apostolics: I'm a Trinitarian.' I said, 'Well, I want you to know I'm an Apostolic. I believe there's one God, and His name is Jesus. And He's alive today and forevermore.' That's worth shouting about, honey. That's worth dancing about, when you get the revelation of the Mighty God in Christ. Hallelujah. This was the moment. This is the picture that would make this man Thomas stand up in John chapter 11. Jesus has given a revelation — I'm going to get a little ahead of myself right here, but just follow with me. There are two things that happen every time that Thomas speaks in Scripture: one, Jesus gives a revelation of who He is. And two, there is a picture of a Thomas that has a type of separation anxiety with the Master. In John chapter 11, coming off the heels of John chapter 10 — Jesus telling them who He is, and telling them that 'I and My Father are one' — after He tells them and the Pharisees get mad, the Bible says they picked up stones and thought to have stoned Him. In this moment, His disciples are trying to convince Him not to go back to Judea. And so Thomas stands up, and boldly — but yet there is a hidden agenda here, and we will talk about this today — he boldly pronounces: 'Let us go with Him, that we may die also.' If you're not careful, you'll read that and assume that he is talking about Lazarus. But in reality, he is talking about the fact that Jesus could die, if He goes to where He is planning on going. So again, this is the first glimpse of this picture that we have of a man that does not want to be separated from the Master. This is important in the story, because it's here that we see a glimpse into the turmoil that Thomas has. I don't know what it was in Thomas' life that made him want to latch on to Jesus the way that he did. But I will prove to you tonight that there was a sense of urgency: 'Lord, please don't leave me. Jesus, I don't want to be separated from You.' I don't think I have to convince you tonight that we live in a world that is dealing with the phobia of being alone. Studies have shown that over 30% of this great country we live in — over 30% of the people living here — deal with a fear of being left alone. Not only is there a fear of abandonment, a fear of being alone, but there is a direct connection between abandonment and the issues that we face in our world today. Young women don't know how to be young ladies, because their mother left them. Young men who are in the streets that don't know how to go get a job, because Daddy left them. Men and women with trust issues, because a spouse left them. Depression rules our world, because somebody left. Fear rules our world, because somebody left. Anxiety is an ever-constant, because I don't want anybody to leave me and me be all by myself. This is a plague in our world today. I'm still not preaching yet. We're getting there. This is a plague in our world today. Not only in our world, but this is a real human emotion that we can see from the text, that even the disciple Thomas would deal with. His statement, 'Let's go with Him,' is just a picture of him showing us: 'I don't want to be disconnected from You.' The next time we see Thomas speaking is when Jesus is essentially writing His goodbye letter to His disciples in John chapter 14. He said in verse 2: 'In My Father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will receive you unto Myself, that where I am, ye may be also. And whither I go, ye know the way.' Brother Diaz, it is no coincidence that it is the Apostle Thomas that would speak up and say, 'Lord, how can we know the way?' There he is, showing us again the picture: 'Lord, if You're leaving us, don't leave me without a way of knowing how to get to where You are. If You're going to walk away from us, at least leave us a note. Leave us a map.' And it is here that again Jesus gives Thomas a revelation. This is a blanket statement, but at the same time, He is talking to a man, Thomas, who would ask him, 'How can we know the way?' Jesus would then in turn look at Thomas and say, 'I am the way. I am the truth. And I am the life.' Can I preach to you tonight that Jesus is still the way? He's still the way, in a world where everybody's trying to make their own way. Let me just preach to you: there's only one way, and it's through Jesus Christ. You can't do it on your own. You can't figure it out on your own. You got to come through the door, and that door is the man Christ Jesus. He didn't say, 'I'm a way.' He said, 'I'm the way.' Because there's a lot of people that think in 2024 you can make your own way — you can use any way that you want to. But He said, 'I'm not a way. I'm the way.' I want you to get the revelation, Thomas: if you're worried about being left alone, there's a way, and I am that way. If you're worried about being abandoned, I want you to know: I will not leave you. That's why — and again, I know this is a blanket statement, but you just ride with me, I promise I'll tie a pretty red bow on it here in a few moments, and we'll make sense of all this — but I believe that as this blanket statement is made in John chapter 14 and verse 8, He says: 'I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.' This was a word to the turmoil that Thomas was dealing with, being afraid of being left alone. He looks at Thomas, and He looked at me in 2024, and He said, 'I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.' Let me preach to somebody on a Tuesday night that the devil has you cornered with depression: that God never left you in the middle of your depression. Let me preach to somebody that's dealing with fear and anxiety, and you feel like God's a million miles away: He said, 'I will not leave you without a comforter.' When you feel all alone, I'm going to be there with you. When you feel forsaken, I'm right beside you. 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.' Thou art with me. Woo. Said, 'I will not leave you' — in the English is translated as 'comfortless,' but in the Greek, the word used here is 'orphanos,' and it quite literally means 'fatherless.' He's — 'How do you know Jesus was the Father?' Because He told His disciples, 'I'm not going to leave you without a Daddy. I'm not going to leave you without a Father.' Oh, help me, Jesus. 'When you need somebody to be there, I'll be right beside you. When you need somebody to hug you in the middle of the night, I'll be the arms that wrap around you. When you need somebody to dry your tears because of the storm and the pain, I'll be standing right there, and I'll catch every tear that you cry.' I know it's Tuesday night, and it'd be really easy — because I preach here enough, we're comfortable with each other — we could push the big red button. But I came tonight in defense of somebody that's been fitting in with a crowd, and going through the motions, and feeling as if there's nothing to this Apostolic way — because I keep coming to church, and I keep shouting, and I keep dancing, but I keep going on empty, and I keep feeling void on the inside of me. I've come to preach to you tonight that the devil is a liar, and that God won't leave you. How many times have we gone through the storm and the rain, and bought into the lie that we're all alone? Oh, come on, talk back to me. I know you're saved, sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost, and you look good on Tuesday night. But the truth of the matter is, if we pulled down the masquerade of the suit and tie that you got on, and the bobby pins in your hair, there are scars on your heart. There are times that you feel like — even this week, I know what I feel in the Holy Ghost — some of you have prayed, 'God, where are You?' I'm here to preach to you tonight: He's right beside you. He's right — 'I will not leave you comfortless.' Come on, somebody that the devil's been trying to run you out of the church: you need to look the devil in the eye and say, 'I am not alone. I am not alone. God is with me. God is with me.'"

Scriptures: John 10:30; John 11:16; John 14:2-6; John 14:18

What about me? — the eighth day

"This all kind of comes to a head in John — in our reading text tonight — as John begins to tell us the story, the story within the story, if you will. He shows us this issue that Thomas is dealing with. Now, to an extent, Brother Diaz, I understand Thomas' frustration. Ride with me: you were out — I don't know where you was, I don't know where Thomas was. Maybe Thomas was driving the Ford. That's why he was late. Pastor Young ain't here to defend himself. My God. But he ain't there. He's missing. And he walks in the room, and when he walks in the room, twelve — eleven disciples start jumping up: 'We seen Him, Thomas! He was here! He talked to us! He told us everything was going to be all right! We've seen the Master! He's resurrected! He's alive!' And Thomas, the man that is dealing with anxiety of being separated from the Lord, says, 'Well, why didn't He wait till I was here?' Oh, it's getting real now. 'Why didn't He wait until I showed up? He knows I didn't want to be separated from Him. Why didn't He wait till I was here?' And we act like Thomas is acting some kind of childish way, and he's asking for things that are outlandish: 'Unless I see His hands, and unless I touch His side, I will not believe.' But if you back up just a couple of verses, you will find that when Jesus walked into the eleven disciples — that the Bible says that He showed them. He showed them His hands, and He showed them His side. It's not like he was wanting anything that was crazy. He just wanted to be a part. Let me preach it like this: he came to church on Tuesday night, and he seen somebody else get a miracle, and he said, 'Lord, it's not like I'm asking for something You didn't do for them. It's not that I'm mad that my brother got a blessing. It's not that I'm mad that my sister got a breakthrough. But what about me? What about my need? What about what I'm going through? Lord, I'm thankful that they've been blessed. But what about me?' How many times have I came to church — I'm just — can I just be honest with you tonight? How many times have I came to church and looked at God blessing people, and giving people a breakthrough, and said, 'Lord, here I am. I'm pouring my guts out. I'm preaching as hard as I can. I'm praying, and I don't have a voice to preach. What about me, God?' Come on. I'm preaching to somebody — that was your prayer coming to church today: 'God, what about me? Does He love me? Does He care about me? Does He even think that I'm worthy of coming into the house of God? I see the miracle-working hand of the Lord in everybody else's life. But what about me? He don't care enough to give me just a little hope.' And I came to tell you tonight that here in John chapter 20, in verse 26, Brother Diaz, when He showed up — the Bible says, on the eighth day — and we'll preach about that here in a minute — when He showed up on the eighth day, He didn't talk to Peter. He didn't talk to James. He didn't talk to John. He didn't talk to Matthew. When He came in this time, it was for one man, and one man alone. It was so that Thomas would understand: He's the kind of God that'll leave the ninety and nine and go find the one. It was for a man that was hurting, that felt alone, that was — He said, 'Thomas, I want you to understand: I'll come back just for you.' I came with a word for somebody on a Tuesday night: He came just for you. He didn't have to affirm the miracle to the other disciples, Brother Phillip — He'd already done that. He'd already proven to them that He was risen. When He came back, it was for one man. It was for Thomas. I don't know what devil lied to you and told you God don't care, and you — woo — I came to tell you on a Tuesday night that He'll show up just for you. He will come just — I know it's simple. It's as good as it's going to get tonight. I just want you to understand that God will come off His throne for one little old lady that feels like she's been forsaken. God will come off His throne for one little old teenager that crawled into the church on a Tuesday night. God will come off His throne for one saint of God that feels forsaken and abandoned. Don't you let the devil lie to you and tell you God don't care. He'll come into this house, if for nobody — He'll do it just for you. To the pain, the hurt, and the anxiety — He showed up for me. To the forsakenness, to the abandonment — He came. So you got to get this: He didn't die for the sins of the world. He died just for me. He didn't just shed His blood and say, 'That'll cover it all.' No, no, no, no. He was thinking about 2024, at The Rock Church in Elk Grove, California. And He was looking at somebody that felt as if God didn't love them, and God didn't care, and God wasn't watching all the pain that they were dealing with on the inside. And He said, 'I will die, and I will shed My blood, if for nobody else — I'll do it just for them.' Bible says that He came on the eighth day. Say, why is that important? It's important because the eighth day was the day that, when Moses came down off of the mountain, that he anointed Aaron as the priest over Israel. Why is that important? Because 'we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities.' 'Jesus, what took You so long?' 'I'll tell you what took Me so long: I was waiting till I was walking in the fullness of priesthood, so that when I came, I could come with an understanding of how you feel. I didn't just die for the infirmities, but I died for the feelings that come along with them.' Oh, Jesus. I know where I'm at tonight, so I feel comfortable preaching this. But let me just tell you right now — let me just — let's just talk about it. This is the identity of the church in past decades, is we're not allowed to have feelings. It's been the identity of the church: 'Suck it up, buttercup. Get over it.' And you're just supposed to come to church and dance and shout like nothing's wrong. But sometimes you don't need to shout. Sometimes you need to have surgery. Sometimes you don't need to dance. Sometimes you need to actually be delivered. And God needs to lay you out and say, 'Hey, I understand how you feel, and I am concerned with how you feel.' Hannah — in just, I think it was 13 Scriptures the Bible gives us about — I think it's like 12 or 13 emotions that she's dealing with, emotions, feelings that she is dealing with. And when the Hebrew writer said He came as the high priest, he said He came as that high priest for the feelings of your infirmities. I've just come to tell somebody tonight: God already knows how you feel, so you might as well just be honest with Him anyway, and say, 'God, I don't feel accepted. I don't feel loved. I don't feel appreciated. I'm bitter. I'm angry. All of these things are happening in my life, and I don't understand.' But can I tell you that when He came, He came as that high priest that understood the feelings? 'Thomas, you feel alone. But I want you to know: I know what it's like to feel alone. Because when I was in the garden, nobody would stay up and pray for Me. I had to pray for Myself. But I did it so that I could come to you and say: you are never alone.' Just for me. If Thomas was here tonight, he would tell you that He's the kind of God that'll show up when nobody else will. Just for me. And this may be a little comical, but it's interesting to me that the next time we read about Thomas, he's fishing. Because he ain't worried about stuff no more. He said, 'You know what? I was worried. I'd stand up all night. But now I just think I'll go fishing.' Somebody needs to take that as a word from God. My God, everything's going to be all right. 'How do you know, Thomas?' 'Because I got a revelation that He'll come back just for me.' Thomas — well, Thomas — and this is interesting to me, but for some reason Thomas is listed in the day of Pentecost. Well, that's not a shocker — he's one of the disciples, that makes sense. Yeah, but you don't understand: the last time the disciples gathered in that upper room, Thomas wasn't there. The last time they said, 'Hey, let's get together and have a prayer meeting,' Thomas was missing. But now he's there. And ten — somewhere around ten days have come and gone. And y'all don't have to excuse my little Sunday-school-brain way of thinking, but I can see Thomas laid over in the corner on a cot. He's rolled up his coat, and he's using it as a pillow. And somebody walks by and bumps him and says, 'Hey, Thomas, why don't we go get something to eat?' 'Not me. I ain't going nowhere.' 'Why not?' 'Because He said He's coming back. And if I — I understand that if He said He's coming back, He'll do — if He don't do it for you, He'll do it for me. So if 500 hear Him, and only 120 are here, He's still coming. And if all 119 of y'all walk out of this door, I got a revelation that He's still coming back. Because He showed me He's the God that keeps His promises. He'll do it just for me.' And it's Thomas — and I'm fixing to close before very long — it's Thomas, this time. Every time Thomas has spoken, Jesus has given us a revelation of who He is: 'I and My Father are one.' 'I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life.' Brother Phillip, it's not Jesus this time. It's Thomas that finally got the revelation. He looks at Jesus in John chapter 20. He falls to his knees, and he says: 'My Lord and my God.' You know what he was saying? 'I got it. I got the revelation of who You are. You're the God that is eternal. You're the God that walks with me. You're the God that talks with me. You're not going to leave me. You're not going to leave me by myself. You come back just for me. Oh, I know who You are. You're the God that'll dive off into the middle of the hell breaking loose in my life. I know who You are. You're the God that said, "You never leave me nor forsake me." He'll do it just for me.' How many times — how many times have we missed our miracle? Say, 'Well, I'm just going through the motions this Tuesday night.' No, no, no, no. You got to get past that. There is no such thing as 'just Tuesday night.' There's no such thing as just prayer meeting, or just youth service, or just — because where two or three are gathered — well, let me just tell you something: sometimes you're by yourself. And — and maybe I'm by myself on this — I don't think I am, though — when I needed Him the most is usually when I can't call people. I call them, they don't pick up the phone. My wife don't understand. My friends think I'm crazy. And He comes. And He comes. He comforts me, just for me. See, I'm preaching like this because the devil would love to jump on your shoulder and tell you that you're a part of a church — and because you're a part of this great church, you're not supposed to have these issues, and so you just need to keep stuffing it down on the inside. The problem with that is, eventually you explode. Just keep stuffing all of these emotions and all of these feelings that you're dealing with. But eventually you're the ticking time bomb waiting to go off. And what he would love to convince you is that those emotions, those feelings that you're dealing with — as the musicians are coming — those feelings that you're dealing with are separating you from the church. And so all you need to do is just keep on showing up, going through the motions. And can I tell you tonight that you can be one of the twelve, and still question: 'Does He care about me?' You can be one of the twelve, and still wonder: 'Where do I fall in this big scheme of things?' See, that was Peter's problem in John chapter 21. If we're not careful, we start looking at everybody around us. And Peter and Jesus are having this conversation. Jesus has asked him — He says, 'Peter, lovest thou Me more than these?' 'Lord, You know I love You.' And y'all know the story. And you know what Peter does? Peter looks at Jesus, and then he turns around and looks at John — the one that said, 'Is it I?' — and he said, 'What's his part in the kingdom?' Peter didn't get the revelation that this ain't about me and John. This is about me and Jesus. And if you're not careful, we'll get that spirit inside the church: 'Well, what about them?' And I — listen, I know that there ain't no self-righteous people in California, so I'm just saying this for the people that are listening online. But 'I know what they did.' You want to know something? That ain't none of your business. Thomas got the revelation that it took Peter a whole nother chapter to get: it's me and Him. And I don't live for God — listen, I'm thankful this church is — it's a wonderful church, and I thank God that you've submitted to the pastor, and you should remain submitted to your pastor. But I don't live for God for my pastor. I don't live for God for the ministry team. I don't live for God so that people can see me. I don't live for God so that I can sing on the platform. I don't live for God so I can be a Sunday school teacher. I don't live for God to be an usher. I live for God because I want a relationship with Him. And I understand: He'll do it just for me."

Scriptures: John 20:26; John 20:28; John 21

The altar: He sent me just for you

"As we stand, I present to you tonight that there are people in this house that have let miracles slip through their fingers, because they don't recognize He'll do it just for me. Maybe even you came to church on Tuesday night, and already the work week has drove you crazy. Kids are acting like a bunch of knuckleheads. Trouble on every side. And you haven't engaged in worship in so long, because you forgot: this ain't about me and my husband. This ain't about me and my kids. This ain't about me and my wife. This ain't about me and Pastor. This is about me and God. God sent me with a reminder tonight, to somebody that's holding on by a thread: He sent me just for you. So I — no, no, no, no. Listen, listen: that's not how that works. I'm here by divine appointment. He wants you to understand: 'I heard every prayer you prayed this week. I've seen every tear you cried. I know where you are, and I'll show up.' People are going through the motions, getting miracles on the left and miracles on the right. But when I came on a Tuesday night, He came for somebody with a Thomas attitude: 'God, do You even care? Why don't You bless — bless me, bless me.' I got a word: He's going to — keep holding on. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep standing on the Word of God. 'God is not a man, that He should lie. Neither is He the son of man, that He should repent. Hath He not said it? Will He not also bring it to pass?' If God told you He was going to work it out, honey, God's going to work it out. As we make our way to this altar — again, I don't want to point anybody out, but I know what I feel in the Holy Ghost tonight: going through the motions — He came just for you. Would you pray with me right now, as they get ready to sing? I know we haven't danced and shouted like we typically would when I come. We'll do that next time, hopefully. I believe God, we will, if the Lord tarries. But I'm preaching to somebody that's blending in with the crowd: 'Oh, does He care?' He cares. Would you just lift your hands? And when you lift your hands, I don't want you to do it with an attitude of, 'Oh God, I don't know if You hear me.' I want you to lift your hands with an assurance that God is here, just for me. I don't know what you need tonight. I don't know what it is that you've been asking for, that you've been praying for, that you're in need of. But I do know this: that God came tonight just for you. Come on — do they sing? Would you lift your voice? Jesus. Come on, you got to get beyond the ideology that God doesn't care, that God's not listening when you pray. Come on, God really does listen. I believe. Come on, God really is listening. Come on, if you need the Holy Ghost tonight, He came just for you. If you've never spoken in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance, God wants to fill you tonight. Come on, young man, young lady: if you're struggling, you don't have to die in the struggle. He came just for you. Come on. A saint of God — it's been so long since you've seen a miracle, you're wondering, 'Does God still hear me?' He came tonight just for you. I — I believe. I believe for us."