Sunday Evening Worship Service

I want to take you uh to the book of First Samuel tonight. Uh 1st Samuel the 15th chapter. passage of scripture we've preached from before, but uh I want to bring a few things hopefully that will be fresh to us all. 1st Samuel 15, we're going to begin reading at verse number one, and we'll uh read the first three verses. 1st Samuel 15:1. Samuel also said unto Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel." Now therefore, hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember. Everyone say, I remember. I remember that which Amalecch did to Israel, how he laid weight for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go smite Amalecch and utterly destroy all that they have. Spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. For a few moments tonight, I would preach from verse number two. The Lord remembers. The Lord remembers. Let's pray. Savior, we love you. God, thank you for this precious congregation, for your ever settled word. Now God, I pray that you would use my voice, but Lord, let it be your anointed word that touches our heart. Let us receive. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. The Lord remembers. We as children of God like to la, applaud and extol the attribute of God, which is not only that of a forgiver of sin, but a forgiver of sin when we've repented. And rightfully so. That's what he is and who he is. But with that said, please know that the God we serve is not absent-minded. He's not scatterbrained. He is not a forgetful God even though he forgets the sins of the repentant. But God can choose to forget. Obedience and repentance are the mechanisms that trigger his forgetfulness. And we'll talk about that a bit later. But tonight, I also want to keep us reminded that God can and does sometimes remember some things. He said, "I remember what which that which Amalecch did to Israel." In our text, God is commanding King Saul to utterly destroy Amalecch. Now, what does utterly destroy mean? Well, I would say this. I know the difference in damage and total destruction. I know the difference in a fender bender in a vehicle or having the vehicle totaled too close to home. I know the difference in a close loss and one by 50 points. I'VE HEARD SOME SAY, "I'D RATHER LOSE BY 50 THAN by one." Not me. I don't like to lose, but I don't like to be utterly destroyed either. Can I get an amen in the house? I know the difference in a little wind damage and a tornado blowing in. The term utterly means without exception to a full extent or degree altogether COMPLETELY ENTIRELY FULLY thoroughly wholly. That's what utterly means. And to destroy means to PUT AN END TO, TO RUIN, to kill, to annihilate, to decimate, to demolish, TO SMASH, TO TEAR DOWN, TO UNDO, AND WRECK. GOD SAID UTTERLY destroy Amalecch. Why in the world would God tell Saul to do this? Because the Lord said, "I remember." He had a memory of something. Having a good memory is important. At the risk of being repetitive and a whole lot corny, I would illustrate the point. Story goes that there was a baby elephant that was drinking water from the river and a baby snapping turtle bit him on the trunk. Some 50 years later, that same elephant, now a fullgrown bull elephant, was drinking at the same river. A WHOLE NEST OF turtles were sunning near the rocks. That same bull elephant waited out among them. Grabbed that same snapping turtle that had bitten him 50 years earlier, picked him up with his trunk, slapped him back and forth several times in the muddy ground, THEN THREW HIM SKIPPING ACROSS THE RIVER TO THE OTHER SIDE. A hippo NEARBY SAID, "HOW do you know after 50 YEARS THAT'S THE SAME ELEPHANT?" He said, "I've got turtle recall." >> That's bad, isn't it? >> I don't know ABOUT ELEPHANTS, BUT I KNOW I SERVE A GOD IF HE NEEDS TO, HE can remember everything. HE HAS TOTAL RECALL AND he can remember both the good and the bad. He said, "I remember what Amalecch did unto thee, by the way, when you were come forth out of Egypt." This is Deuteronomy 25:17. He said, "Remember what Amalecch did unto thee by the way when you were come forth out of Egypt, how he met thee by the way, and smoke the hindermost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou was faint and weary, and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies roundabout in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to POSSESS IT THAT THOU SHALT BLOT OUT THE REMEMBRANCE OF AMALECCH FROM UNDER HEAVEN. THOU SHALT NOT FORGET IT. What did HE REALLY SAY? HE SAID don't forget to remember to blot them out. He said, 'Now's not the time in Deuteronomy. He said, 'BUT I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER WHAT AMALECCH DID. You see, Amalecch, they were a bunch of back shooters in the Old West. The worst coward there was was the back shooter. And that's what Amalecch was. Amalecch didn't even bring an army face forward. Instead, they looked to follow behind and pick off the weaklings and the infirmed. Those that weren't moving quite as well as the the the people of God left Egypt. They were tired. They were weary. They were worn. And at that time, Amalecch began picking off those that they could. They were back shooters. So he said, "Remember Amalecch." Exodus 17:8 says, "Then came Amalecch and fought with Israel and Rifim. And Moses said unto Joshua, choose us out men and go out and fight with Amalecch. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." And now I I will paraphrase a bit rather than read it all, but you can read the account in Exodus 17 and8. Time and time again, Amalecch would come against God's people. Moses, as an act of faith, would step out with the rod of God and he would raise his hands. And when he would raise his hands, God would give his armies victory. But if Moses' HANDS BEGIN TO FALL, THE war would go Amalecch's way. So he got Aaron and her who stayed his hands. The Bible said there's a good lesson to be learned there. Sometimes if you'll just lift up the hand of the one who is leading, God will do a work. Sometimes if you will be AN ENCOURAGER. AARON AND HER WERE NOT WARRIORS. JOSHUA WOULD DO THE FIGHTING, BUT AARON HER AND HER WOULD JUST LIFT UP. THEY WOULD BE SUPPORTERS. You would be surprised sometimes how important it is just to have a lot of support when there's warfare in a spiritual sense going on. And when they lifted up their hands, the Bible said Joshua discomforted Amalecch and his people with the edge of the sword. He made them uncomfortable. He embarrassed them. The Bible said and in verse 14, NOTICE THE LORD SAYS THIS several times throughout the scriptures. AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, "WRITE THIS FOR A memorial in a book. Rehearse it in THE EARS OF JOSHUA, FOR I WILL utterly put out the remembrance of Amalecch from under heaven." Let me tell you, God remembers. Verse 16, it said, "For he said, because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalecch from generation to generation." Who was Amalecch originally? Amalecch, the father of the Malachites, was the illegitimate son of Esau's son, Elaz. He was born of a concubine. In other words, he was born of sin. SIN ATTACKS YOU FROM behind when you're being freed from Egypt's bondage. THIS IS WHY GOD WANTED THAT ONE BORN OF SIN, UTTERLY DESTROYED. THERE ARE SOME THINGS that we NEED TO REMEMBER TO UTTERLY DESTROY AND REMOVE THEM FROM OUR VERY BEING if we're going to be victorious in Christ. 1st Samuel 15:7 said, "And Saul, smoke the Amalachites from Hava until thou comest to shure that is over against Egypt." You see, if we'll do our part, God will do his part always. He said, "Uterly destroy the Amalachites." Saul now is in a position with God given the okay to utterly destroy THE AMALACHITES. AND SAUL is being given a great victory by God. AND HE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOTALLY annihilate the Amalachites. But verse eight tells that Saul's ego gets in the way. And he took Aag, the king of the Amalachites, alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Ag, that's the king, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and of the lambs, and all the good, and would not utterly destroy. But everything that was vile and refuse, they destroyed utterly. It's amazing even in the midst of some of God's greatest and most remarkable victories in many folks lives that the victors become disobedient, careless, and forgetful to completely obey God. Some have forgotten God's complete commands for victory. In other words, I want my immediate need solved. But don't expect me to sell out to God. I've heard some who God has miraculously delivered them from sin, but instead of calling sin sin, they are revisionist in history. And they retell their exploits of sin as though they were an adventure. And they would have been famous or rich or popular had God not moved in their life. Some don't wear things that they used to wear. They've been delivered from it, but they don't throw it out either. They still leave it hanging in the back of their closet just in case. SOME SAY, "OH, I'M NOT GOING TO PARTAKE OF THOSE VICES OF SIN ANYMORE, BUT uh I may go to those places to be a witness." Let me tell you a testimony. I got his permission before I mention this. I remember brother Dorton giving me a very special testimony. Brother Dorton, uh, you you blessed me and I I've kept it tucked away for a good long while. But he gave me a test his testimony how when he came to the Lord, there were some things that he couldn't get total deliverance from sin until he got rid of them. Brother Dorton told me that he had a fondness for collecting collectible rare bottles of bourbon. Now, if you don't know what that is, thank the Lord, but that's liquor. And brother Dorton told me he had some very rare bottles of bourbon that were worth some worth thousands of dollars. He had over $7,000 worth of bourbon bottles and bourbon in them. But as long as that was still in his house, he said, "I didn't have complete victory and I wasn't living a completely victorious life." He said, "One night I made a decision. Oh, I'm not going to give it to somebody else that still indulges in that. I'm not going to put it on the market and resell it. He said, I went to the sink and I started tearing those bottles open and and pouring it down the drain and saying, "In the name of Jesus, I'm going to be victorious. In the name of Jesus, I'M GOING TO BE VICTORIOUS." Isn't that WHAT HAPPENED, BROTHER DORDAN? WHY? HE SAID, "UNTIL I GOT RID OF THAT THING, I DIDN'T HAVE COMPLETE DELIVERANCE." LET ME TELL YOU, YOU WILL NOT HAVE COMPLETE DELIVERANCE IN CHRIST UNTIL YOU UTTERLY DESTROY EVERYTHING THAT STANDS BETWEEN YOU AND SERVING GOD. I DON'T WANT THE OLD THINGS OF SIN. OH, HALLELUJAH. I've heard my dad tell time and time again about my papa mool. when my papa Mcool agreed to take his two twins who were evangelists, just too young still to drive a vehicle, but my grandpa was taking them and they would get up and they'd preach and sometimes my dad or his brother, Uncle Bob, they would come down right off the the platform and they'd point their finger in their own dad's face who was driving them around to revival. Dad, IF YOU DON'T STOP THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING, IT'S GOING TO KILL YOU. You need to get VICTORY OVER THAT IN JESUS NAME. Papa Mcool, I heard him tell it. He said they'd have an altar call, he said the old churches back then, that's many, many times if it was the least bit warm, they'd have the windows open. There was no air conditioning. He said on my way to the altar, he said I'd get that package of Winston's and I'd throw them out THE WINDOW AND I'D FALL ON MY KNEES AND START PRAYING. >> But he said the whole time I was praying, he said I was saying, "Lord, don't let it rain because my Winston are going to get ruined." AND HE SAID UNTIL HE WAS WILLING TO SAY, "LORD, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE ME THE HOLY GHOST, I'M GOING TO GET RID OF THAT HABIT. BUT IF YOU DON'T, I'M STILL GOING TO GET RID OF THAT HABIT. I'M PUTTING IT DOWN. I'M LAYING IT DOWN. HE SAID, THAT'S WHEN HE GOT THE HOLY GHOST AND WAS FILLED SPEAKING WITH TONGUES. Let me TELL YOU, THERE'S SOME STUFF YOU NEED TO UTTERLY DESTROY OUT OF YOUR LIFE. IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S CLOSER TO YOU AND THE LORD, THEN SUDDENLY YOU NEED TO REMOVE IT. If you've got attitudes and envings, get them out. Hatefulness and griping, you need to get it out. GOSSIP AND BACKBIT BODY, TEMPER AND ANGER, JEALOUSY AND SPITEFULNESS, YOU NEED TO CLEAN up >> if you want to have complete victory. Saul's failure to utterly destroy King Ag would lead to his own demise. You see, God would begin to reveal to Samuel the prophet Saul's disobedience. It says in 1st Samuel 15:10, "Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, it repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments." and it grief Samuel and he cried unto the Lord all night. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told sa Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a place and has gone out and passed on and gone down to Gilgal. Samuel the prophet cried all night long for Saul. Sometimes spiritual leadership will have more concern than someone who is disobedient has for themselves. Samuel cried all night long. He was lamenting Saul for he knew Saul had not been obedient. And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul SAID UNTO HIM, "BLESSED BE THOU THE LORD. I HAVE PERFORMED THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD. You big liar. I mean, HE WAS TRYING TO GET THE DROP ON SAMUEL. I DID EXACTLY WHAT THE LORD SAID. Isn't it amazing how those with a disobedient spirit can interpret their actions when they try to redefine what God has called them to do and try to say that that's REALLY THE WILL OF GOD WHEN IT'S absolutely the opposite of what God was wanting to accomplish. >> He said, "I perform the commandment of the Lord." And Samuel said, "Uh, what meanest then the bleeding of the sheep in mine ears, and the loing of the oxen that I hear? Ba and moo never sounded so strong in the ears of the preacher." And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalachites. For the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, AND THE REST HAVE WE utterly destroyed." You see, IT'S NOT A SACRIFICE IF IT'S THE FRUITS of disobedience. Saul acted if as if he had completely obeyed, but God revealed the truth to the man of God. Then Samuel said unto Saul, "Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord had said to me this night." And I I don't want to read too much into it. You know, they say you need to be careful texting because you don't hear the way someone expresses things. You know, if they put in all caps, that means they're yelling. But other than that, I don't always get it, you know. But I I JUST I JUST PERCEIVE A LITTLE attitude from Saul even in his answer. Samuel said, "Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord said to me this night." And he said to him, "Say on." Just a snarky little say on. So Samuel by the help of the Lord began to read his mail. Samuel said, "When thou was little in thine own sight, was thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed thee king over his?" He reminded him of when he was first anointed, they had to go find him. He was hiding. He he he was little in his own said, "I'm not worthy." And the Lord sent thee on a journey, AND SAID, GO UTTERLY DESTROY the sinners OF THE AMALACHITES, AND FIGHT AGAINST THEM UNTIL THEY BE CONSUMED. WHEREFORE THEN DST THOU NOT OBEY THE VOICE OF THE LORD, BUT D FLY UPON THE SPOILS. He didn't say you just took it. I I love the way he words. It said you did fly upon the spoils. I when you showed up, your eyes lit up like A CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHT. LOOK AT ALL THIS CATTLE. LOOK AT ALL. AND IN HIS MIND, IF I TAKE KING A GAG BACK, I CAN MARCH HIM THROUGH THE CITY AND JUST SHOW HOW GREAT A WARRIOR I AM. IT'S ME, MY MIND. IT'S ALL ABOUT ME. You see, when it becomes about me rather than him, the victories that God has given become the fruits of disobedience. He said, "Wherefore thou did fly upon the spoil and evil in the sight of the Lord?" Saul even argues with the man of God. Man of God said, "You didn't do it." He said, "I did do the will of God." He still does not recognize at this point the scope and the weight of his disobedient transgression. You see, one should be very careful when you feel that you're not answerible, answerable to the voice of God and the leadership that God has placed in your life. One can become callous, haughty, and even feel spiritually superior to the voice of God's messenger. Notice when he is confronted with the facts, Saul made up a quick story. Saul said to Andy, "YAY, I HAVE OBEYED THE VOICE OF THE LORD AND HAVE GONE the way which the Lord sent me and have brought Aag, the king of the Amalachites of Amalecch rather, and have utterly destroyed the Amalachites." And then notice the NEXT CLASSIC move of the disobedience is to blame somebody else. But the people took of the spoil, the sheep, the oxen, the sheep, the chief of things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice to the Lord thy God in Gilgal. He bl the PEOPLE DID THIS. THEY MADE me do it. Who's a king here? Who's in charge? Who's giving the orders? Who is leading the battle? Oh, the people made me do it. Some of the most rebellious spirits can be manifest when one postures with a pseudo spiritual attitude. That's why scripture tells us to try the spirits and to know them who labor among us. 1 John 4:1 says, "Beloved, believe not EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TRY THE SPIRITS whether they are of God, BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT into the world." First Thessalonians 5:12 says, "And we BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN, TO KNOW THEM WHICH LABOR among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you." You better be careful who you allow to speak into your voice or it's what voice you allow to speak in your life. I'm trying to say you better BE CAREFUL JUST BECAUSE IT'S SOME shiny object and some eloquent speaker. Are they speaking thus sayeth the Lord or is there an agenda for self worth and selfexaltation? You see he would make this statement. Samuel would make this statement that put it all in order. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of ram. To obey and to listen to God. For rebellion is as of the sin of witchcraft. What's the sin of witchcraft? That's using the power of the enemy to try to accomplish things. For rebellion is as of the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou have rejected THE WORD OF THE LORD, HE hath rejected thee from being king. >> But Mcool seems so harsh for one little indiscretion. You see, God remembers. God remembers the Amalachite, but he also remembers what he told Saul. And God's reminding Saul. And Saul reveals his still unrepentant attitude. He acknowledges his sin, but he doesn't repent of his sin. There's a difference. Let me say that again. He acknowledges his sin, but he doesn't repent of his sin. There are many will admit they've sinned. But can you fall on your KNEES AND SAY, "GOD, I AM SORRY FOR MY SINNING." YOU SEE, SAUL LET YOU KNOW WHERE HIS HEART IS. HE SAID, "I HAVE SINNED, FOR I HAVE TRANSGRESS the commandment of the Lord and thy word." And he starts playing the blame game because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Once again, I ask, who's in charge here? Who's the king here? But he's blaming the people. I was afraid of the people. The man that was a head and shoulders taller than anyone else in his kingdom, the Bible tells us. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin. He didn't say, "I'm sorry." He said, "Just pardon my sin and turn again with me THAT I MAY WORSHIP THE LORD." SAUL DOES NOT EXPRESS remorse or even say, "I'm sorry." He just asked, "Oh, pardon me." Samuel expresses God's rejection of Saul. And Samuel said unto Saul, "I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord. Thou and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel." And as Samuel turned about to go away, HE SPEAKING OF SAUL, LAID HOLD UPON THE SKIRT OF HIS MANTLE, AND he rented. I mean, Saul now is physically attacking the voice of God. Samuel turns to him and says, "The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou. and also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent. He's telling Saul what Saul really is. Then he said, "I've sinned." Man, if he could ever just stop and say, "I've sinned. Forgive me." He says, "I have sinned yet. Honor me now. He still don't get it. You see, I see too many that they regret they got caught, not that they regret they did wrong. You see, he he said, "I've sinned, yet I need my honor." What everybody else thought was more important to Saul than God's forgiveness. I pray thee there before the elders of my people and before Israel and turn again with me that I may worship the Lord. So Samuel turned again after Saul. Saul worshiped the Lord. He was more concerned with his own reputation than being clean before God. And you see the Lord remembered. You can read the last two verses of that passage for yourself. Samuel the prophet would end up having to do the king's job. Samuel would draw a sword nearby. It said Aag came unto him delicately and Ag said surely the bitterness of death is passed. Now if you study what had happened here, rather than utterly destroying, Saul had wanted to make a spectacle out of Ag and he had cut his thumbs and great toes off, Bible scholars tell us, and tied a rope around his neck and was leading him through town. God didn't say embarrass him. He said utterly destroy him. God wasn't into trying to punish. He wanted to utterly destroy. But Saul was making a spectacle. Samuel draws a sword. It said, "Agag came to him delicately. I bet he was delicate at this point." And he's pleading. He says, "Surely bitterness of death is passed." And Samuel said, "As thy sword hath made women chalice, so shall thy mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Aag into pieces before the Lord and Gilgal. I know that sounds gory and gross, but please understand the figurative example to our lives. Sin is gory and gross. And there's some things if you don't utterly destroy them out of your life, they will haunt you. they will come back to pursue you. Again, to paraphrase for time's sake, David would become king over Saul. David would have to deal with the Amalachites. It would be the Amalachites that would attack Ziglag and take David's family and the men's family hostage and David would go and have to war with them and would recover all. And ironically, if you if you put it all back together, when David found the Amalachites who had taken his family and all the others family, the Bible tells that David begin to slay the Amalachites from one day to the next and their escape not a man of them. Now, here's the way the Bible says it. Save 400 young men men which rode upon camels and fled. You know why they had camels to ride upon? Because Saul didn't kill the camels in the first place. He was told to. Camels were named. You see, generation after generation can be affected if YOU DON'T UTTERLY DESTROY SOMETHING. RIGHT NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER GENERATION. YOU GOT KIDS AND GRANDKIDS that the Lord carries. THERE'S SOME STUFF NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED OUT OF YOUR LIFESTYLE, OUT OF THE WAY YOU'VE LIVED IN THE PAST BECAUSE GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE VICTORIOUS. BUT HE WANTS YOUR KIDS TO BE VICTORIOUS. HE WANTS YOUR GRANDCHILDREN TO BE VICTORIOUS. >> Saul would die at the hands of the Philistines. Well, his sons would. And Saul, about to die, would fall on his own sword, commit suicide. And amazingly, someone would discover his dead body. Philistines would take his body eventually and hang it in their cities for display of a defeated king because the kingdom was divided. Saul was here. David was here. Had he been with David, God's anointed, they could have been victorious again. But instead, his sons, Jonathan, all of his sons, they they would be killed by the Philistines. And actually, his armor bear, he would be about to die. His armor bear would slam the armor bear fall on the sword. But there would be a messenger come to David. And this messenger would make up a story. He said, "I saw Saul. He was about to die. So he pleaded that I kill him and I took his life. Saul said, "Who are you and what are you?" He said, "I'm an Amalachite." The same ones that could have been utterly destroyed. David said, "By your own confession, you claim that you lifted your hand against God's anointed." He said, and I'm paraphrasing, he said, "Take him in slain." He's an Amalachi. You see, God remembered the Amalachites, but he remembered Saul's disobedience as well. Now, I realize up to this point, all that we've preached and talked about would appear quite ominous and negative. But I also want to tell you about the positive side of a God who remembers. In Genesis the 7th chapter, you can read again as I paraphrase from verse 21 to the end of Genesis 7. It had rained 40 days and 40 nights. Noah and his family and the animals were on the ark. For 40 days and 40 nights, everything had been destroyed outside. Then the Bible says that every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, cattle, creepy things, fowls of the earth, they were destroyed from the earth, and Noah only remained alive. And they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days. Now, 40 days of rain and 150 days of floating, if my math is close, that's 190 days on that ark. It's easy to get to feel forgotten even when you fulfill what God has told you to do. Let me take speak to somebody in this house tonight. Maybe you've been for a long time asking God to do something and it seems like you haven't heard anything from him. Noah was there 190 days. But verse eight says this, "And God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the cattle that was with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth and the waters assaged. You see, you may feel like you've been flooded in your life. You may feel like that you've been alone and you hadn't heard from God. Let me tell you, hold on. Stay in the boat. Don't forget his promises. GOD REMEMBERED NOAH. GOD WILL REMEMBER YOU. God remembers your faithfulness. BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD REMEMBERED RACHEL. WHEN RACHEL CALLED ON THE LORD, RACHEL HAD BEEN BARREN. Her her SISTER HAD BORE SO MANY CHILDREN. But the Bible says God remembered Rachel. And she bore Joseph. Don't give up. God's got a Joseph in your future. God remembers his promises. when they were in God's people were in bondage after hundreds of years. The Bible says God heard their groanings and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and God looked upon the children of Israel and God had respected them. Why? Because they cried unto the Lord. Let me tell you, if you feel forgotten, God remembers you. God knows you. Don't ever feel like you're alone. God knows you and he cares about you and God remembers his promises. You recall the story of Hannah and Elcana. They wanted a child and the promise was made. Hannah said, "God, if you'll give me a child, I'll commit him to you all the days of his life." Went to the the preacher and she was so tore up. She she'd been before praying and her mouth would move. Nothing was coming out. The Bible says, "Eli, you you think your your preacher gets rough now?" said, "Eli marked her mouth." Pow! Speak up. I'm not so mean after all, am I? I know better. And she said, I'm not drunk. She said, I've just I've been before the Lord and I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. If you feel like you've been walking with an unfulfilled request of God, let me tell you, God remembered Hannah. The Bible tells us that he remembered Hannah and she bore a son and she conceived and bore a son. That son would be Samuel the prophet. Stand with me. Praise team musicians, make your way up. I want God to remember my faithfulness. >> I don't want him to remember being unfaithful. >> I want God to remember my obedience. not remember me for disobedience. I want the Lord to remember my repentance, not my hard heart. The Lord remembers. There's an old song that was a a standard many years ago that was sung in many of the churches. The name of the song was My Sins Are Gone. And I wouldn't attempt to sing it, but let me read you a verse and a chorus. It said, "You ask me why I'm happy, so I'll just tell you why. Because my sins are gone. And when I meet the scoffers who ask me where they are, I say, "My sins are gone." Now, there's something I want you to notice in the chorus of this song. It says, "They're underneath the blood on the cross of Calvary, as far removed as darkness is from dawn." And here's the line I like. It says, "IN THE SEA OF GOD'S FORGETFULNESS, that's good enough for me. PRAISE GOD. MY SINS ARE GONE." THE PSALMIST SAID,"REMEMBER ME, O LORD, with the FAVOR THAT THOU BEEST UNTO THY PEOPLE. OH, VISIT ME WITH THY SALVATION." LUKE SAID IT THIS WAY. AND HE SAID UNTO JESUS, "LORD, REMEMBER ME WHEN THOU COMEST into the kingdom." WHO IS HE TALKING ABOUT? THE THIEF ON THE CROSS. ONE CURSED, but one said, "Just remember me." And Jesus said unto him, "VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TODAY THEY SHALL THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE." JESUS REMEMBERED HIM. >> If Jesus remembered the thief on the cross, he'll remember you if you ask him to. But you see, he remembers and yet he forgets. HEBREWS 8:12 SAID, "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR RIGHT UNRIGHTEOUSNESS and their sins and their iniquities. I will I remember no more." He's a God who remembers. HE'S A GOD WHO FORGETS. OH, I want him to forget my sin, but I want him to remember HIS PROMISES. TONIGHT, IF YOU'RE IN THE HOUSE, >> I'm here to tell you the Psalmist also said he would remove our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. Micah said he will have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities AND WILL CAST ALL OF THEIR SINS INTO THE DEPTHS of the sea. That's that sea of God's forgetfulness that the song writer was talking about. If you're in this house tonight and you have unrepentant sin in your life, I pray that you don't be a Saul and worry what anybody else thinks. In just a moment, I'm going to open this altar for anybody who needs to repent. But that's a loaded statement because the scripture tells us we die daily. We all need to repent. We need to be repentant daily. But when I open this altar to the repentant life, I would pray that you would come forward and say, "God, I want you to hear my repentance. God, I'm sorry. Lord, would you look down inside me? Lord, would you let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight? God, if there's an evil way in my mind, in my heart, God, I want you to take it out. That's the way you repent. I'm sorry for my sin. And not if, because I know I'm a sinner. And then God, blot out my iniquities. And Lord, remember the promises I make to serve you right now. If you want to repent or you want to just commune with his presence, I'd ask you to step out and let's gather around this altar for a season of prayer, a season of repentance, and a season of saying, "God, remember and forgive." >> Victory. I'm going to see a victory. >> Bring victory right now, Jesus. battle belongs. >> I'm going to see a victory. I'm going to see a victory. For the battle belongs to you, Lord. I'm going to see a victory. I'm going to see a victory of the battle belongs to you, Lord. I want to see your name. I'm going to see your name before you. >> You take what the enemy meant for you. >> Turn it for good. >> Turn it for good. >> You turn it for good. You take what the enemy meant for evil and you turn it into you turn it for me. >> You take what the enemy is for evil and you turn it for good. >> Turn it for good. You take what the enemy for evil and it will turn for good. You take what the enemy never turn you on. You take what the enemy tri I'm going to see a victory. I'm going to see a victory. All the battle belongs to you, Lord. I'm going to see a victory. I'm going to see a victory for the battle belongs to you, Lord. >> I'm going to see a victory. I'm going to see a victory. For the battle belongs to you, Lord. I'm going to see a victory. I'm going to see a victory for the battle belongs to you, Lord. >> Now, could we love Jesus together right now? Savior, I thank you that you died on the cross for my forgiveness. Lord, let me never forget your sacrifice. But Lord Jesus, I pray as we repent of our sin, Lord, that you would forget those sins, that you would cast them in the depths of the sea, Lord, never to be remembered against us, God, that we stand on your promises. We claim your word. And Lord, we trust in you. We're grateful and thankful. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. And amen. Next Sunday is resurrection Sunday. Be here. expecting an awesome time in the Lord. Would you greet your brothers and sisters around you? You're dismissed in Jesus name. Hallelujah.