Busy But Not Blessed | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

Those of you that are in our altar areas, make your way back to your pews. Those of you that are in your pews, if you're physically able to stand, I'd like to ask you to stand in honor of the reading of the word of God today. How many believes the word of God should be honored? >> The living word of the living God this morning. So good to see everybody today. And thank God I believe everybody was on time for church today. >> Somebody said you need to announce you be quiet phone. My phone decided to say something. I'm glad somebody asked me to uh announce the time change. I said, "Why don't I want to announce it? Folks will be on time for church." So I'm glad to see everybody. Glad to see everybody here. Hey, just for a moment, I I I've had so many people ask me this. Could I in could I uh impose on you to be seated for just a moment? And I know I've had you stand, but just just for a moment because I've had several of you that that have that have stood in line and just ask me, Carpenter, you announced about the uh the lost dog that came to your house this past week. And and uh hey, I'm just trying to say about you. You know, there's just one of me and about 700 of you. So, I'm just trying to save save some time here. I told about the lost dog that came to my house and the uh injured chicken buzzer that came to my house this week. Same day. Same same day. A lot of inquiries about the lost dog. There's only one person that inquired about the chicken buzzard and that was brother Art Snitzer. All right. He said, "What about the chicken buzzer?" Well, um, we kept the dog at our house for a couple of days and posted the dog on every site that we could to try to find the owner and, uh, we found on Friday, we didn't find the owner, but we found a precious person that, uh, wanted wanted this dog. And so, uh, Brother Dean Bolan at the time, which was such a help. Uh, he's now called the dog whisperer here at church. And such a help, he made the, uh, contact that we needed. And Friday night, uh, someone came to our home and took the dog and and I was so happy and relieved. They were dog lovers and and I was so happy to hear that. And, um, so, uh, the story went on. Saturday morning, the owner reached out to me on social media. And so, uh, I, um, we we called the owner and, uh, the owner said, "That that is that is my dog." and kept talking, told us how it got loose, that they've had some sickness in the family. And uh the the owner said, you know, said we love that dog and said, "We we absolutely love that dog, but said we we just are unable." Said, "If if you could maybe help us find an owner for that dog. Got you covered. Got you covered." Of course, we connected the people that we gave the dog to with them. And uh but the lady told me one thing and it kind of kind of let me know why the chicken buzzard hopped to my house. Said, "Sir, if you've got chickens," said keep him away. Said he loves to eat chickens. And so evidently he brought his kill. He brought his kill to the house. So now you know, now you know the story. You can rest. You can rest your feet on. You have to sit there at the end of my sermon today and wonder, "Brother Mayo, what happened to the dog? What happened to the dog?" Amen. Now, would you stand in honor of the reading of God's word? How many came to hear the word that this morning? >> So good. So, did we have a great time last night? We had a wonderful time of fellowship. Uh probably a couple of thousand people here from the community came and just such a wonderful time bringing the community onto our grounds and treating treating them and and planting. And matter of fact, I believe that we have some here today that came through last night. We're glad to have you. We're glad to have you here this morning. If you have your Bibles and would turn with me to the book of Luke, chapter number 10. Book of Luke in chapter number 10. And we'll begin reading at verse number 38. When you found that passage of scripture, say amen. >> Amen. When you found that passage of scripture, say amen. When you see it on the screen, say amen. >> That's about all of us, right? Uh Luke 10:38. >> And now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village that he there is Jesus. And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about with much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, does thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that she help me, that she help me." Jesus answered and said unto her,"Martha, Martha, thou art careful, that word there is anxiety. You have anxiety and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. for this Sunday morning, the first Sunday in the month of November. I want to minister this subject today. Busy but not blessed. Busy but not blessed. And if you said, I know what he's going to preach about. Thou art a prophet today. Busy but not blessed. Put your Bible down. Father, we love you this morning. Lord, you know that I need your touch today. God, you know that I need your sweet presence to touch my soul and my mind. God, to help me, a mortal man, articulate the word of God. Lord Jesus, today I want this word, God, to find a lodging place. Our hearts are moist because of the worship, Lord. Our hearts are moist with the rain of the worship today. And now let the seed fall into our hearts Lord and the warmth of your spirit that it can germinate Lord and cause me to be a better Christian, a better witness for you. I'll give you praise and honor and glory in Jesus name we all pray today. And everybody said amen. You may be seated. Busy busy but not blessed. Let me tell you the main characters in this scripture reading today. The main characters are Martha, two sisters, two sisters, Martha and Mary, and of course Jesus. So, the people that we're going to speak about today is Martha and Mary and our wonderful Lord and Savior and King and Redeemer and healer and deliverer and way maker. And even when you don't see him working, he's working. And when you don't feel him working, he's working. >> The I am, the alpha, the omega, the beginning and the ending. The friend that stickketh closer than a brother. >> He which was and is and is to come. How many love Jesus today? >> So Martha, go ahead. Go. That's right. Go ahead. Give him a hand. Wasn't that wonderful to hear brother Bradford talk about someone in Mexico walking leaping out of a wheelchair. That great to hear that that report. Jesus did that. Amen. Jesus did that. Of course, I I turned to Sister Carpenter and she she said, "Yes, that's correct." But uh when uh Payton and London went to Mexico, this church paid one full year utilities and rent on them to be there in that building to be able to have. Now, did you hear him say they went we we were clapping while he said it, but did you hear him say that they have grown to where they've now went to two services? >> That great. That's that's just great. That's great. Jesus did it. Bible says in verse number 38 that Martha Jesus came to town and that Martha received him into the house. Martha Martha received him. You you know the Lord will show up but the Lord only manifests himself when we receive him. All right? Or when we welcome here him. When we welcome him with praise and worship, when we welcome him with shouts that we do, what are we doing? We're we're welcoming him. We are receiving him. And uh it's possible that if you have a lack of worship, you will experience a lack of his manifestation. >> Now, that doesn't mean that he's not here. That just simply means you have not received him. You have not you have not well. But but but but Martha, she knew that Jesus was in her city. And the Bible says in verse number 38 that Martha received him. Now I I don't know if it got on the front porch, went down the road, somebody told Martha, hey uh you you know uh uh they you know they had uh telegraph uh telephone uh tell a woman. I I I don't know. I don't I I I I don't know how that happened. I don't know how it happened, but but she heard that Jesus was there and I don't know if she got on front porch or ran down the road, but anyway, she went out and she welcomed him uh she welcomed him into her home in the home of her and her sister, her sister Mary. And um then not only did she welcome him, she began to immediately do for him. All right? Do for him. Martha be to do for him. Now, there's a little bit of a of an angle that we got to look at it today. There's two things when we welcome him, we ought to do for him and do with him. It's possible to do things for the Lord, but not with the Lord. And and just hang on to those two words, for the Lord. She she be to do something for him. What was that? She began to cook a meal for him. And this was no, listen, there was no microwaves. There was no instant potatoes. There was no instant this. uh when you would prepare a meal for someone, it took hours of laborious uh work that you would that you would do and and it would take a while for you to do this. It it was it was not the modern uh can openers and the modern this and I think you're getting it would it would take some time. And so Martha got very busy working for the Lord. She began to work for him. But then the next scripture verse 39 says that Martha had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus feet. Now now this is uh this is this is interesting. This is interesting um because there are three times in scripture that we find Mary at the feet of Jesus. There's there's three times. Matter of fact, it seems like to me that when she's mentioned that three of the times Mary's mentioned, it is mentioned she is at the feet of Jesus. She is at his feet. the scripture reading today. She is at the feet of Jesus and she is uh listening and receiving the word of God. We know that when her brother Lazarus died that she came out of the house and the Bible said she fell at the feet of Jesus and went into if you had been here, if you had only been here, my brother would not have died. Then we know that in John 12 that she came and anointed the feet of Jesus that she anointed and washed the feet of Jesus with the hair of her head. And and so when you when you begin to kind of put things together, it seems like at the feet of Jesus was Mary's favorite spot to be. Can can I tell you there's no one at the feet of Jesus remember this? It was where you would receive your education from a philosopher or from a teacher. They would call it I matter of fact did not the apostle Paul in giving his resume say I was educated at the feet of Gamilia. That's where I got my education at at the feet. They likened their teachers. I I was at the feet of of Gilia. And And so today with Mary, I want to follow. There's no better place to get your teaching than to go to the feet of Jesus. >> But I got news for you. There's no better place to take your disappointment in God. And I think we would all be glorified hypocrites to say at one time or another, we wasn't disappointed that a prayer didn't get answered. And we wasn't disappointed that something happened. And I think we'd be less than honest with each other today if there wasn't times that we didn't understand the Lord. But can I tell you when he didn't answer the way you wanted and he didn't come through the way you wanted and you had to scratch your head and wonder why. I still believe that at the feet of Jesus is to take all of your disappointments. Because at the feet of Jesus will come the resurrection of Lazarus. But not only that, the greatest place to worship, the greatest place to worship is at the feet of Jesus. But let me explain something to you. Martha did something for the Lord. Mary did something with the Lord. I want you to know that serving the Lord is easier than submitting. It is easier to serve the Lord in some fashion. A greeter, a parking lot attendant, a preacher, a choir member, a choir leader, a musician, a Sunday school teacher, a daycare worker, a school teacher, and the list could go on and on. It is easier to serve the Lord than it is to submit to the Lord. Because in order to submit, you got to work on that flesh. And that flesh, I don't care who you are, you're fooled by yourself. The Bible said our heart is deceitfully wicked. And no man knows. You think you know yourself. You don't really know yourself until you begin to deal with that flesh. And you begin to put that flesh at a position that it doesn't want to be. And then the flesh begins to kick and buck and try to explain its way out. But Mary had submitted herself. She had submitted herself to the Lord and was at the feet of Jesus. Now, let me explain something to you today. Let me let me explain something to you today. I didn't say you didn't have to serve the Lord. I didn't say you had to do something for the Lord. You got to find a balance between doing something for the Lord and doing something with the Lord. I can preach. that's doing something for the Lord. I am a preacher. You might be a musician. You might be a a a greeter, whatever. And you're doing something for the Lord. But in order to do something with the Lord, there's very few things. It's called prayer. It's called Bible study. It's called witnessing, telling other people of the glorious truth that you've got. And I if you don't have the if you don't have the with the Lord, it many times will cancel out the for the Lord. Right. Right. Have any of you all ever had the uncomfortable thing of having a server at a restaurant served you, but that you could tell by the look on their face they didn't want to serve you? Didn't you enjoy your meal? Didn't it make it pleasant when you asked from some ranch dressing uh for your French fries that they looked at you like you asked for a million dollars? Didn't it make you feel good that that when you kind of tap the top of your empty glass and and and said if you wouldn't care? Would you would you mind to refill you? We've all had that uncomfortable thing. I wonder if that's not the way the Lord feels sometimes when we do something for him, but the lack of prayer causes us to have the right attitude and the right spirit. I was glad when they said unto me that it's going to the house of God. >> I get joy when I think about what he's done for me. But you can only experience that when you're with the Lord in prayer and you say, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. Lord, I'm dancing on the grave of my enemy. God, I'm thankful for where you brought me from. You can't serve him enough to get what? Doing for and with the Lord. So, we we balance church. We balance this Martha Mary mentality out. And here Martha is is is is serving the Lord. She's cooking a meal. She is working and she is busy and she's full of anxiety. There Mary is she's doing something with the Lord. She's listening to him. He's teaching her. And then Martha's had enough. That's had enough. I know some of you men not may not want to give an amen today, but you know it's true. You know, when there's work to be done around the house and the wife's working, it's not time for the lazy boy. It's not time for anything else. Because when they come through that room and they look over there, they're really saying, "I'll interpret the look." They're saying, "Get up and help me." All right. >> Can't you Oh, come on now. Come. Some of you men are leaning over. Oh, baby. You know I don't do that. You know that. So I just see, can't you see it with me now, Sister Kman? Can't you see Martha here? She's in the kitchen and I wonder if she's in there and she keeps looking through the through the way and she sees Mary just at the feet of Jesus and Jesus is teaching her. And Mary's just looking at and say, "I receive that, Lord. I receive that, Lord. I receive that, Lord." I wonder if Martha didn't start clanging them pans a little harder. You know, I wonder if she didn't go through the living room like a Brahma bull a couple times. And finally, here's the problem. Here's the problem. Here's the problem. When you're off balance and all you ever do is do something for him, you lose what he is really like. And I'll show you verse 40. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dust thou not care that my sister had left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that she help me. Now, let's look at the word cumbered. The Greek word for cumbered means to drag off from, to distract or to drag around as in a circuit. So look at what Martha was doing. She was being dragged all around and distracted from the very one that she got out on her front porch and said, "Jesus, I want you over here at my house. Jesus, I I'll fix a meal for you. Jesus, I'm so glad that you're here in town. Jesus, come over here to my house." But when she got in there, she became distracted by what? Much serving. Can I tell you? I don't care what we do. If we preach, we better be connected to Jesus. If we sing in the choir, we better be connected to Jesus. If we're a church member and we're here every time the doors are open, that's what you do for the Lord. But you better be connected to Jesus. >> When they say, "Why did you go to church today?" I went to church to publicly profess my love and adoration for Jesus Christ. I went to get me attached from him today. But if you don't watch it, if we don't watch it, we'll be dragged all around. It'll be, "Oh, I got to go over here." I'm not saying Sunday school class needs to be this. I'm not saying the choir needs to stay on the right pitch. I'm not saying the musicians need to do this. We'll work on all that. But when that becomes the cheap aim of our service to have a perfect service, we have lost our meaning of having church. That's why we kind of can get upset with this one. Why? Well, you know, I don't know if you noticed that today, but when the ushers came down, one of the ushers didn't come down with the other ushers. All right? He came down a little later. And I know the person, and he was probably ministering somebody about the Lord. And you know what? I don't care if you're ministering about the Lord, you can all be late as far as I'm concerned. >> Why? Because it's all about him. I said, "It's all about him." What would it do to have a Sister Ericson, what would it do to have a perfect service where every key is just right, every note is just right, every person is here for the choir, everybody does exactly what they need to do when they need to do it, and they do it with a spirit of excellency. At the end of the service, we have not touched him. >> Let's not be dragged around a circle while the answer to every problem we've ever had or ever will have. Come on, somebody. The answer to every problem that we've ever had and ever will have is right here in this room today. And I wish somebody would shout his name out. >> Jesus. He's here. He's here. That's why it doesn't matter if it's too hot or too cold or too loud or not loud enough. >> That's why it doesn't matter if this one's not here or that one's not here. You know I'm preaching. >> Martha was dragged about. And guess what her dragging about did? It disconnected her from the Lord. Now watch her next. That same woman that stood on that porch and said, "Jesus, come to my house." Is now standing there saying, "Don't you care? Do you not care?" No, he didn't talk to Mary. Who'd he talk to? Who does she talk to? And what does she say to do? Do do you not care about me? Here's the first step in losing our grip on a relationship with God is to feel like he doesn't care. I think it's really in the foundation of divorce. She don't care. He don't care. I think it's why families get divided. Oh, they don't care. You might see it as just a little minute thing, but it's a powerful destructive thing when you begin to view somebody that they don't care. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't you know what I serve and what I do? Don't Don't you know I'm this and that and this and that and I got this and I got that. And matter of fact, I got a pedigree and and I've often said to people, you know, my my my grandparents were in church and my mom dad's in church. My great-grandfather's in church. Uncle Abraham Lincoln was in church and and and and my pedigree. And I've often said this, it doesn't matter your pedigree. What matters is, have you been to Calvary? >> I had this little thought come to me in prayer. I've never I've never had it. I've never even preached on it, but I just had it and I'll share it with you. If we looked at Mary being at the feet of Jesus, at the feet of Jesus. Don't you just believe with me today that when Jesus hung on the cross that just according to gravity, Brother Hammond that the bloodiest place of Jesus Christ was probably at his feet? Do you just I mean he's hanging with his head up just a natural gravity his blood would flow down to his feet and the foot of the cross. Can I tell you there's life in the blood. >> There's life in doing something with the Lord >> and not just for the Lord. There's life at getting his feet and saying, "Lord, there may be several hundred people here today, but here am I, God, and you're interested in me, Lord. and I know that you care about me. I rebuke every thought that unanswered prayers is coming from a God that doesn't care about me. I rebuke every thought that when I need divine healing, and the Bible says there's divine healing available and I'm not getting my divine healing, I rebuke that thought that you care about me. God, you've got something greater. If it's a no today, it's because there's a better thing coming tomorrow. And it's not because uh God does not care about you and I today. The Bible said, "Cast all your cares upon me, for I care for your soul." Oh, don't that make you feel good this morning. Jesus, tell her to get up. But but but that's not the only time that disciples ever use that word. Aren't we prone? Aren't we prone to get in a storm and we want it to be over? When do you want your storm over? Yesterday. I want it over. I want it done. But aren't we prone? Aren't we prone in the midst of the storm? Does it matter? It doesn't matter that he just took loaves and bread and fed a multitude. Doesn't matter. He just he just did miracles. He gets me in a boat and he tells me, "You told me to get in the boat. You, Jesus, told us to go to the other side. You said it. You said it. But Lord, we're in a storm and the waves are beating high." And it was no ordinary storm because these were men of the sea. They they knew the Sea of Galilee. They knew how the Sea of Galilee this was a storm of all storms. The boat was filling with water. And finally, one of the men said, "Jesus got to do something. Jesus got to do something. We've we've brought down the sails. We've we've done everything. We put the ores in the water. We've done we've done everything we can do to to to to steady the boat, but we're we're about to sink. Where's Jesus? He told us to get in the boat. He told us to go to the other side. Where's Jesus? He's asleep in the back part of the boat on a pillow. He's back there sewing logs. He's back there sound asleep. Guess how they woke him up. Are you ready for this? Jesus carest. >> Thou not that we perish. Do you not care? We've seen you walk on the water. We know you can do it. You see, today there's not a doubt in my mind. There's nothing God can't do. Y'all ain't hear me today. Either you ain't hear me or I'm talking about a different God. I said there is nothing that our God can't do. But when he chooses not to do it, it's not an indicator that he doesn't care. It's an indication that he's got something better for you. You care? Don't you care that we perish? How is it that you have no faith? Peace be still and the waves laid down. You not care, Jesus. You see, I'm I'm convinced today that there are some people that have a job in the church. I'm not talking about the paid people. I'm talking about everybody. And some people have a job and it has it has so got you that you have traded your job for Jesus. If Jesus is not in your job, your job's not worth doing. So, these wonderful parking lot attendants, aren't they? They they're they're out there, aren't they? They're they're out there to help us get a parking spot. Yes and no. They're out there to help you get a parking spot and also be the first shining smiling voice that you hear when you drive on this parking lot. >> Because a first impression is a lasting impression. And you don't get a second time to make a good first impression. Some people have traded their job for Jesus. You know what Martha did? She was making a meal. She made a meal and missed the Messiah. She made a meal, but she missed the fact that the Messiah was there. So now she comes in and says, "Um, don't you care? Don't you care that that that she has left me alone to serve? Now the Lord steps in. You know, you would really do good in life that when your Martha's come and invade you, let Jesus defend you. Can't you see two sisters going at it? Can't you see two sisters, Martha and Mary, going at it? Mary, get up and help me. Mary, please, you're lazy. Mary, you've always been lazy. Get up and help me, Mary. No, she didn't do that, did she? She came to the Lord. Lord, get her up. Tell her to help me. Can I tell you when your Martha's come in your life, let Mary, let Jesus give the answer. And here's the answer. Verse number 41, chapter 10. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, can't you hear that? Martha, Martha, thou art troubled. Thou art careful and troubled about many things. You are full of anxiety. You are full of stress. You are a ball of anxiety. You're stressed out. Your favorite hymn is what if? What if? What if? What if? What if? What if? What if? What if? You're a ball of emotional. You're a basket case, a ball of anxiety. You ring your hands. You fret. And you're troubled about many things. You're troubled. Is the bread going to be right? You're troubled. Is the meat going to be right? You're troubled. Is the dishes going to be clean? You're troubled if the cobwebs have been taken away. You're troubled. Troubled. Troubled. Troubled about many things. But look at verse 42. Somebody help me preach. But one thing, boy, it's so easy to serve God. You hear me? It's not difficult to serve God. It's not difficult to serve God. He says, "But one thing, I'm telling you, here is the key, the goal to serving God. One thing. One thing. But one thing is what? >> One thing isn't equal. You need this one thing and Mary have chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. I'm not advocating not being prepared for the Lord. I'm not advocating I'm not advocating not doing our best to preach and to serve and to teach Sunday school and to be a greeter. I'm not advocating I'm not ad I'm not ad us to be slouchy and sloppy and all that but I am saved. There's one thing that is needful and we need to choose that good part and that one thing is Jesus and his word. You know, it ought to bother you and it ought to bother me when we don't know the last time we've had a touch from Jesus. It ought to bother all of us today when we can't remember the last time that we've had the tears in our eyes. The last time that we just put all the many things, the many anxieties, the marriage, the job, the kids, the sickness, the economy, the price of gasoline, and on and on and on it goes. and just step into a time of prayer and say, "Jesus, you're all I need." I'll probably have the same problem when I walk out of this prayer room, but Jesus, you are all that I need. And I got news for you. The world didn't give it to me, and the world can't take it away. And you ought to shout to that today. I said, "The world didn't give it to you, and the world can't take it away." Said, "The world can't take it away. How can you lose >> with what we have? I don't care how crazy our government gets. I don't care how crazy things get. I don't listen Listen, we're in the end of time. I'm just here to tell you, we are in the end of time. And we can see things shaping up. We could see one world governments and we can see all of these things. There's a res resurgence of the hatred of the Jewish people. And and I believe that is a prophetic thing. I believe that is a I believe that is a prophetic thing. And and and there's just just all of this resurgence of hatred toward the Jewish people and and all these things lining up. I don't know how far down the road we're going to go before the Lord blows the trumpet and calls his church out. I don't know. I don't know how far we're going to go down the road. But does it really matter if we've got the one thing that is needful? Does it really matter if we've got the one thing that is that that that is needful? Does it does it really No, no, no. I'll answer it for you. It doesn't matter because the world didn't give it to you. And the world can't take it away. The joy that I have doesn't come from Six Flags Disney World or a brand new car or a brand new house. The joy that I have comes from the Lord himself. for the joy. >> Come on, make some noise here this morning. The joy. >> Oh, somebody shout one thing. >> One thing. >> One thing. >> One thing. >> One thing. Martha, you're troubled about many things. You're troubled about many things. But Mary has made a choice. Are you listening? Based on priorities. She's made a choice. See, you have to prioritize life. You have to put it different compartments. You have to prioritize it. This is important. A family is important. You better believe your family's important, man. It's it's it's right up there. Well, no, no, brother Kman. Family's not right up there. Family is number one. Wrong. Wrong. Family's number two. >> No. I I Man, you could come to me. You could come. You could come after church. You come come talk and you can put your slant to it and all that, but I'm here to tell you, >> you can't be the husband or the wife that you could be without God first in your life. I'm not saying you're not a good husband or you're not a good wife, but I am saying you'd be a better husband and a better wife if you would make sure that he is at the top. He is number one. Was Mary concerned about the meal? You better believe it. Was Mary concerned about the dishes being clean? You better believe it. Was Mary concerned? But listen, >> listen to me. I I I flat out looked over this this part. She didn't say Mary has not served. She said she left me alone. Which would give the connotations that she did some serving. But blessed God, she came to the part said, "Let me tell you something. Dishes are clean enough. The cobwebs are gone and and and the the the lamb will be out of the oven in just a few minutes. I'm going to get my hide in there and listen to the to the lamb of God. I'm I'm going to get in there." And and so it wasn't she left. It was that she put him first. I I got to preach to you today. You can be busy >> but not blessed. >> You can be busy. We We're We're more busy. Listen, we got more holidays now. We got more days off now. We got more modern We have got more modern conveniences than any generation that has ever been. And we're the busiest people and the most wore out people. >> Tired man. Tired man. Why do you think you can't go you can't go to a little market on the side of the road without paying for your food or paying for whatever you're getting and there's the big old fivehour energies Red Bull, White Bull, >> Superman, all that. Cuz I'm gonna tell you something today. I believe that a lot of our weariness is not necessarily physical, but it's spiritual. Can I tell you, you can be you can be physically weak, but if you can get spiritually strong, you can start talking about you can start talking about good days. You can start talking about I went and prayed with brother uh uh Tommy Callaway yesterday and he's there in that bed, 90 years old, broke hip in that in that uh that uh rehab place and and there he is in that bed. He started talking to I'm getting out of here. I'm going to get out of here. We talking about climbing deer stands. He talking about going back hunting. talking about somebody broke into his cabin and his his little uh deer lodge or whatever he had and stole his cowboy boots and all that. Man, he ain't getting out of there. He is 90 years old in a bed with a broke hip talking about I'm getting out of here. >> And I'm going to tell you that's a whole lot better than laying there saying, "This is the end. I guess this is the end. This is just how it's going to end. I'm going to end right here." Can I Oh my God. I I I just kind of feel like preaching today. Can I tell you? I don't care how sick you are. Talk about a good day. Talk about something good is about to happen. I just feel like something good is about to happen. I just feel like something good is on its way. >> Right, brother French? Just feel like something good. >> Man, got all kind of heart issues. Go around here and say, "Lord going to take care of that. Lord going to take care of that. Lord gonna take care of that. Lord got me right. He come over here. Lord got me right where he wants me. I'm I'm right in his hand. I've always been right in his hand. Well, that's a whole lot better than him over here saying, "I just don't know why I pay tithe all these years. I've been to church all these years. I've done all these." >> You know why? You have done too much for the Lord >> and not with the Lord. >> Somebody shout one thing. >> One thing. >> Somebody shout it again. >> One thing. >> One thing isn't equal. This one thing doctrine goes through the Bible. Could you help me out today? Uh I I didn't turn my scriptures in to you today, but could you put Psalms chapter 27 and verse number four on the on the on the screen for me? One thing. Somebody say one thing. >> Well, I'm I'm about to get all my troubles cured today because I'm going to talk about one thing. Psalms 27. Psalms 27, verse number four. Do you see it on the screen? One thing have I desired of the Lord, and 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. He David said, "One thing I'm after, I just always want to show up for worship. One thing I'm after, I just want I don't care. I have I have to crawl in. I have to walk her in. I have to wheelchair in. I have to stretch her in. But if I can get to the house of God, there's one thing I want to do is I want to get to the house of the living God. Somebody shout, "One thing." >> One thing. One thing. Turn with me. Matthew chapter 21. Come on. We going We going to land here in just a minute. Matthew chapter 20. Somebody say one thing again. >> One thing. >> I said say one thing again. Brother Dean Livingston was preaching one night and uh he said, "Can you say amen?" And a little boy on the front row said, "Yes." Matthew chapter 21 verse number 23. Watch this. When he was coming to the temple, the chief priest and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority? They where's the revelation at in you? Exactly. Who are you? Who are you? Where'd you get this at? Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you what I'm going to ask you. >> I'm just going to ask you. I'm just going to ask you one thing which if you tell me I am likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John which was it from heaven or of men. They reasoning with themselves saying if we shall say from heaven he will say unto us why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say of men, we fear the people. For all the people hold John as a prophet, they called they answered Jesus and said, "We cannot." Which they should have said, "We won't." Because they found themselves in a trap. If they say the baptism of John was from heaven, Jesus will say, "Why didn't you do it?" >> If Jes say the baptism of John was of men, the people fear John as a prophet. We become unpopular. So they stepped back and they said, "We we um uh um uh we we we we cannot tell." And Jesus said unto them, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." Look at this. One thing kept them back from a revelation of who Jesus was. one thing. You imagine that just one thing's keeping you back from a revelation of who Jesus Christ really is. Some of you said, "Well, you know, I've been going to this church for a while and the only thing I I know is one thing is is I need to get baptized in Jesus name." And you're mighty right. That's one thing. But that one thing opens up, are you still with me now? That one thing opens up a another revelation. Young man came to Jesus. Young man came to Jesus and he said to Jesus, "Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus told him the whole list of mortal things. And he said, "Jesus, all these things I've done from my youth up." And Jesus looked at him and loved him. And guess what? The next words that came out of Jesus' mouth, "One thing you lack, go your way and sell and give to the poor and come take up the cross and follow me." You know what that meant? This young unnamed ruler was to be the replacement for Judas, his chariot. He was the one that was going to be the the apostle that would take uh Judas's place when Judas betrayed the Lord. But he lost it all because he wasn't willing to do what? >> One thing. We have the Apostle Paul today. Because a man was not willing to do one thing. I close with this today. Second Peter. Second Peter I believe it is chapter 3. Second Peter, chapter 3. And I believe we're going to start reading. We're going to start reading Second Peter. And I I uh I have I need to uh find it here. It's a lot harder when you don't have your iPad available, but the Lord knows. Second Peter chapter 3. Somebody say one thing. >> One thing. >> Second Peter chapter 3 verse number three. Knowing this first that in the that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they are willingly ignorant of that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. Whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished. But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and predition of ungodly men. But beloved, be not ignorant of this. Be not ignorant of this one thing. Be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand, and a thousand years as one day. Busy, busy, but not blessed. Busy. Was it not the Apostle Paul that said this one thing I do? Forgetting those things that are behind. And you know that not only refers to sins and mistakes and seasons of your life that you went through that oh you wish you could erase but I want you to know that your bad season does not define you. It's one thing I do. But I forget the things that are behind. Busy but not blessed. Would you stand with me? Busy but not blessed. Busy, oh precious God of heaven today. Lord, look down upon this congregation right now, Lord. Oh Jesus Christ, that walked the aisles of this place. Oh, mighty God, you've not only come to heal us, you've come to save us, God. As a matter of fact, Lord Jesus, I believe at this very moment, God, that you're concerned about those that are not ready to spend eternity with you, God. But I believe with all of my heart today, God, that your main concern right now is for those that are standing here, those that may be watching online, that they're not ready. They're not prepared. That right now, if you met them in judgment, you would say to them, "Depart from me. I never I never knew you." So Lord Jesus, I ask you right now, Lord, in the remainder of this service, and this meeting, I ask you, God, just to move up and down every pew. It's busy, God, but not too busy for you. Won't you listen to me for a moment? Jesus, tell us about the end of time. tell us what the climate will be like just prior to your return back to the earth. Do you know what he mentions? He doesn't really mention as much immorality. He says, "Just boy, they bought, they sold, they planted, they harvested and knew not until the flood or the coming." What are you saying, Jesus? It was a busy culture. They were so busy buying, selling, this and that and going and teaching all of these things. They were so busy that they didn't hear my voice saying, "Put me first. Come to me and let me redeem you. Let me wash you in my blood. Let me wash you. Let me fill you with my spirit. that you and I begin to have something together, but it ignored the voice and ignored the voice and ignored the voice. Have no doubt that there's men and women standing before me today that have ignored his voice. Remind me and please listen intently. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades on the night of December 29th, 1972. While on approach to Miami International Airport, the nose landing gear indicator light, just a small green light on the instrument panel, confirming the gear was down and locked. The green light failed to illuminate. The crew recycled, pulled the gear back in, but the light did not come on. He did it time after time. It was later determined that the two bulbs in the indicator were simply burned out. The landing gear itself was properly down and locked for the entire time. Three experienced cockpit pit crew members plus a jump seat rider became fully absorbed in troubleshooting the light assembly. Removing it, trying to trying to receat the bulbs and even sending the flight engineer below to visually check the gear through a small port hole in the electronics bay. Meanwhile, the autopilot, which had been set to hold altitude at 2,000 ft in a holding pattern over the Everglades, was inadvertedly disengaged or switch and switched modes. The aircraft began a very gradual unnoticed descent. By the time someone noticed, and here's some of the words from the black box. Hey, what's happening here? It was too late. The plane struck the swamp at about 11:42 p.m. Of the 176 people on board, 101 died, 75 survived, many with serious injuries. This was the first fatal crash of a widebody airliner and a landmark case in aviation safety that helped to drive the development of the modern crew resource management. It was training that emphasized that one pilot must always fly and monitor the aircraft without handling other problems. And he's a man on a plane. I don't care what happens anywhere. There's a pilot and he has one thing to do. Keep his eyes on the altitude. Keep his eyes on what's going on. Can I tell you today 101 souls were lost because people got engrossed and they lost their bearings of what was going on on the outside. I pray to you today. There's one thing to be lost, but it's another thing to be lost spiritually, to be lost eternally with every head bowed and every eye closed. And I want to ask every saint of God that knows how to plead the blood. I want to ask every saint of God that knows how to call out for God to move. I want to ask you to lift your voice right now. I open this altar right now. If you're here today and you've been feeling the tug of the master, you've been feeling the voice of the master. Would you put me first? Would you put me first? Would you put me first? Would you put me first? You've been hearing the tug of the master. But other things have been pulling you. Would you please resist the other voices today? And would you please step out of your pew right now? And would you make your way to an altar? And would you make your way and say, "God, I'm putting you first in my life. You're going to be number one in my life, God. I'm putting you first in my life right now, God." Come on, church. Pray with me right now. Pray with me right now. I want souls to walk to this altar. I want men to let go of the back of their pew. I want women to let go of the back of their pew. You feel the grip of the Holy Ghost. You feel the grip of God right now. I want you to let go and come walk into this altar right now. Here I am, Jesus. I turn the I turn the voice down on my career. Here I am, Jesus. I turn the voice down in my life, God. I need you and I need you alone. Here I am, Jesus. Come on, move up around the altar as close as you can. Busy but not blessed. Busy but not blessed. I go to church every service, but I don't feel like I'm blessed. I serve in this department, but I don't feel like I'm blessed. Come on. It's the Sunday morning that we touch Jesus. It's the Sunday morning that we touch him right now. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Push up as close as you can around the altar. I'd like to get everybody in the altar right now. About to get everybody in the altar right now. To those of you prayer warriors, would you please be looking around? If you see somebody that needs prayer, would you go over and begin to pray with them right now? Would if you see somebody new in the altar right now, would you go over and begin to pray with them right now? I am busy, but I'm not blessed. I am busy, but I'm not blessed. Jesus God touch right now. Jesus God touch right now. Oh Jesus God touch right now. Oh Jesus God touch right now. Oh God I've got to have your touch right now. God I've got to have your touch right now. Lord help me to forget it's almost time to dismiss. God help me to forget. Lord this thing is about over. This service I've got another service behind me. It's almost time to go home. God, what good is it if I haven't touched you? What good is it if I haven't sat at your feet this morning? Hallelujah. Come on, church. Come on. We got to pray. What good is it if we haven't touched him right now? That's it. That's it. That's it. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on, look around. If you see somebody that needs prayer, walk over and pray for them right now. You see a young person, you see somebody, they need prayer right now. I need you, God. Oh, I need you, God. I need you, God. Oh, God. >> Oh, God. I want to choose that good part, God. Jesus, you can have all this world. You can have all this world. Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus. You can have all this world. You can have all this world. And I don't want anyone else. I don't need anything else. You are my one. You are my one. I don't want anyone else. I don't need anything else. You are my one thing. You are my one thing. I don't want anyone anything. I don't need anything else. You are my You are my You are you're Jesus. Give me Jesus. You can all you can you can all be you All is the world. Oh, you can all but I don't want anyone. I don't want anyone else. I don't need anything else. You are my one thing. You are my one. I don't want anymore. I don't need I don't need anything else. You are my one. You are my silver. I want you to be. Oh, you are my You're everything. Oh, you are my You are my >> Come on, sing it with him right now. >> Oh, you are my one thing. >> You are my one thing. You are my one thing. >> Come on, let's sing it today. >> Give me Jesus. Give me >> Give me Jesus. >> Give me Jesus. You can you can one more time. One more time. From the bottom of your heart. Jesus. You can all you can all busy but not blessed.