One thing Jesus made sure He did after the resurrection
Key Passage: Mark 16:6-7
Date: June 7, 2024
I appreciate Brother Anthony Miscuitara ministering in music. They have been doing a lot of that here lately, and we’ve got to get some other folk in here singing specials. They have been singing them a lot, and I appreciate their faithfulness in doing that. What a blessing music is in Christian music. I appreciate that so very, very much. I thought I would just mention this for our people, and maybe as an example’s sake: If I could be with my wife in the hospital, I’d probably be there. Since I can’t be there with her, I say that to say, your marriage is a priority. I think I’d be there with her when she was in the hospital when she had surgery, cancer, and all that. I remember missing many services to be with her in the hospital. I believe that’s right. But I can’t be with her in the hospital, so I might as well stay faithful in the house of the Lord when I can’t be in the hospital with her. It reminded me of years ago we had Dr. Lee Robertson with us, pastoring Highland Park Baptist Church, and his wife became very ill while they were here, and she ended up in the hospital.
And I believe you preached for Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Monday night, if I remember right. It was just almost fun, maybe a little comical to watch. Every one of those services, he’d be with his wife in the hospital there and just kind of debate whether to come preach or not. And his wife would say, “Oh, honey, you know you’re not going to be happy unless you go preach.” As soon as she’d say that, he’d turn to me and say, “All right, let’s go, let’s go. We’re going to preach.” We’d go to church and he’d preach. Next service, same thing. He’d be with her at the hospital, and I believe she was still in the ER at that point. He wanted to be by her side, which is right. And she said, “Oh, honey, you know you’re not going to be happy. Let’s go preach.” And he’d turn, “All right, let’s go. I’m going to preach.” He’d come preach every time. I thought I’d mention that I would be with her if it could be. But since I can’t, you’re just stuck with me—that’s what I’m trying to say about what’s going on.
Turn your Bibles to Mark chapter number 16. Mark chapter number 16. I believe the Lord would have us preach on this subject tonight: One Thing Jesus Made Sure He Did After the Resurrection. One thing Jesus made sure He did after the resurrection. Now, there are many things Jesus did, but it seems that scripture points out something particular that Jesus did, and the Bible wants us to know it. So, we’re going to just look at a verse or two. Tell you what: we’ll just read two verses, we’ll pray, talk for a little bit…
And then we’ll look back at these verses and a couple of other ones tonight. I was thinking about sitting in the chair. I think I didn’t have you stand this morning. My goodness, we’re backsliding around here for sure. I’m teasing, but if you’re able to, wherever you are, I like to just keep things going. Would you stand as I read God’s Word together, if you are able to, wherever you are? Mark 16. Of course, David would celebrate his resurrection, and we’re going to look at something particular he did after his resurrection. Mark 16. Look in verse number six. Mark 16, verse number six: “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”
Would you bow for a word of prayer? Just ask Him to give you what you need tonight as I ask you saying: Father Lord, we come to you tonight. Lord, during these times, Father, I believe our people have a lot of needs. You know better than I about their needs. Lord, I pray through Your Word, Father, through Your Spirit tonight, would You give them exactly what they need, Lord—Your touch? And Lord, help me to say what You want said. I yield to You, Lord. Would You give me the privilege, Lord, just to be in a glove, You be the hand? Lord, we’ll praise You and thank You for what You do. Lord, let them, let them after service be fed and have what they need from You. We’ll thank You for what You do, Lord. Father, we’re asking for this in faith because we’re asking in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. It is very interesting. He says there in verse number seven, “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee.” It just seems like the Bible is particularly—God is pointing out that He appeared to Peter. Why Peter? I mean, really, you think about it. Peter had repeatedly messed up.
It is amazing to me. Jesus was talking toward the end. He talked about a lot: He is going to go, He is going to suffer, He is going to bleed and die, and He is going to have to lay His life down. The Bible says—actually, it says Peter began to rebuke Jesus. The Bible used that word “rebuke.” It’s in Matthew. It is amazing that someone had the audacity to rebuke Jesus.
Of course, that is when Jesus had to say, “Get thee behind me, Satan! Thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Boy, can you imagine if Jesus had to say to you, “Get thee behind me, Satan”? I don’t think I’d have to open another door; I could just walk underneath the door without opening.
Peter said, “Lord, I’m ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death.” Now, that is when Jesus was warning him: “Satan is after you, Peter. He wants to sift you as wheat. He wants to chew you up and spit you out.” Oh, Lord, I’m ready to go to prison. I’m ready to die, but I never will. Jesus had to correct Peter again. He said, “Hey, hey, hey, hey, fella. Before the rooster crows twice, you’re going to deny me three times.” Jesus just seems like He always had to get on to Peter.
Of course, you know the story. They go to the garden. Coming out of the garden, the band of soldiers comes, and Judas comes and gives Jesus the betrayal kiss. Peter pulls the sword out. He said, “I’m ready to fight.” I think he was trying to cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. I think he ducked; he just got his ear. Jesus had to tell Peter, “Peter, put your sword up. I could call twelve legions of angels, Peter, if we wanted to fight. It’s no problem.”
I always like that scene: Jesus says, “Whom seek ye?” They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said, “I am he.” Well, they fell back—the power of Jesus. Jesus said, “Peter, put your little sword up. We’re not here to fight like that right now. No, no, this isn’t the timing.” Jesus seemed like He always had to get on to Peter.
Of course, you know the story. They took Jesus over to the high priest’s house. Peter followed afar off. They got him there, and they were having a mockery of a trial. They were torturing Jesus there; it was a sad night. That is when they buffeted Him; that is when they spit on His face. Peter is standing afar off, actually standing with the bad guys, warming himself at the fire.
Three different times, somebody came along and said, “Hey, weren’t you one of those with Jesus?” Peter said, “Oh, no, no, no, no, not me.” Finally, somebody came along and said, “Oh yeah, you’re a Galilean. I’ve been watching how you talk; your speech betrays you. You’re one of those disciples.” Peter began to curse. Can you believe it? A preacher began to use bad language. He said, “Away, away! I am not one of His disciples.”
Jesus looked over at Peter, and Peter looked at Jesus. Peter, oh my goodness, He told me! He told me I was going to deny Him three times before the rooster crows twice. The Bible says Peter wept bitterly. That would be enough, but after all that, and Jesus appears to Peter several times, Peter still is backslid.
John chapter 21. Peter says, “I go fishing,” and he takes six of the apostles with him. Jesus at one point said, “Hey, follow me, I’ll make you fishers of men, and I’ve got better fishing for you to do.” But Peter was backsliding. He said, “Well, I’m leaving the ministry God called me to be in.” Peter said, “I’m going to go back to my fishing for fish.” Six others said, “All right.” You realize, counting Peter, that was over half of the apostles. Judas wasn’t even there at the time. Peter is out there, backslid, leading the other apostles, many of them to backslide, and Jesus shows up there in John 21. Peter just seemed like he kept sinning. I imagine Peter said, “I’m not going to mess up again,” but he kept messing up.
Now, let’s look back at this thing here, Mark 16, verse number seven: “Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee. There shall ye see him, as he said unto you.” Isn’t it amazing that God directed the angels: “Hey, I want to get the message to Peter,” just listed out of the disciples, but Peter. Peter needs to hear the message.
Look, if you will, over in Luke chapter number 24. Luke chapter number 24, if you would, and look in verse number 34: Saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” Jesus went out of His way and appeared directly to Simon.
Don’t have to look it up: 1 Corinthians 15:5, “And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.” Do you see the same Jesus is reaching out to Peter?
Jesus appears—all the apostles are there on Sunday—and that is when Jesus just walks in. The first time, Thomas wasn’t there. By the way, often calling Thomas a doubter, I think it is more Thomas the mister than the doubter, to be honest with you. When he saw Jesus, he did better than many who saw Him the first time. But he was the mister; that is his problem. Anyway, Peter was there.
Then the next Sunday, Jesus shows up again; this time Thomas is there, and Peter is there again. Repeatedly, Jesus keeps showing up where Peter is. Sometimes He just goes after him directly. And then, John 21…
They are out there fishing in the boat. They haven’t caught anything. Jesus shows up and says, “Cast your net on the right side.” Boy, they catch the net—so many, I think it was 153, if I remember right, fish. By the time they got to shore, Jesus already had some fish of His own and had a meal prepared and cooked for them. He went to Peter and said, “Hey, Peter, do you love me? Feed my lambs.” “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.”
Here is what I am saying: Jesus went after Peter. But why is this? Why, when He resurrected, did He go to Peter? Can you imagine how Peter felt? In the heat of the battle, when everything was at stake, Peter fell apart. Can I say it this way? When you are in need, Jesus reaches out to you. Oh, those people that are so needy! Peter was so needy, and Jesus went out of His way to them.
I thought about this time of social distancing, when you cannot go out, and there are so many questions and so much turmoil, and our world has changed, and there are so many needy people, friend. Jesus is reaching out to you. Jesus is there. He will always be there.
I thought about some of those that are alone right now. I thought about Brother Glenn. Thought about Ms. Marilyn Edmondson. Some of these people are just alone, more than even some of others of us—just very alone. Miss Reith, Ms. Tamin [in the] hospital, and these people—hey, Jesus is reaching out to them. He is reaching out to you. In your lowest of days, I thought about Brother Kevin’s dad, just lost his wife of years. I thought about Judy Lawson, lost her husband, been married to him 53 years. Oh, Jesus reaches out to people in a special way during their trying times. It is a trying time in many ways for all of us right now. Jesus is reaching out to you.
This afternoon, I was able to talk to Miss Tammy on the phone, and we were kind of going through our day. We had been kind of running back for the hospital that I was at a couple times today, and we got to see, but just a lot was going on then. We really could talk, so we were just kind of rehearsing the day, and she is feeling better this afternoon. As I rehearsed the day, I could just see God’s fingerprint on the day all day long. I thought, you know, I miss some of these things. If we are not careful when you are needy, you will miss that Jesus is reaching out to you. Peter missed it. It was not until a little later on that Peter, I imagine, looked back and said, “Wow, Jesus kept reaching out to me.” Don’t miss it. Jesus is reaching out to you.
I love Psalm 46, verse number one. It is a wonderful passage. It says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” I like “a very present help in trouble.” Here is the way I like to put it in my simple way: When trouble comes knocking at the door, and you go open the door—I guarantee when you open the door, you see trouble there, you look around—Jesus will always be there. Trouble never comes knocking. He is a very present help. He will always be there. When you look around, I guarantee you Jesus Christ will be standing there, waiting to be what you need. He reached out to Peter in his time of need.
I am going to mention Dave Folkerson. What a good man. He is a good man, although he moved away, moved back to California. I am mad at him about that, bitter over it a little bit—of course, I am joking. But just good, good people. I love him. Dave Folkerson had had a replacement surgery that had turned bad, just a blotch of a job, just shocked standard procedure, just turned out so bad. So, they moved him to Vanderbilt Hospital. He was in Vanderbilt Hospital, and he thought he was going to lose his leg for sure. Then they said, “Well, it’s about a 50/50 chance you’re going to lose your life. You might live, you might not.”
I had the privilege of going to see him in Vanderbilt. He was not in the main hospital. Sometimes they have little round rooms they call it, over on the side, kind of out of the way. It is still the hospital, but a little different section, kind of out of the way. He was in one of those rooms over there, kind of out of the way. They said, “We are not sure if you are going to make it or not.” And yet in that room, kind of away from everybody, it was secure. They did not know if he was going to live or die. They thought for sure he was going to lose his leg. In the middle of all that, he was discouraged, understandably so.
But I got to see him again a little bit later. We had some time when he was so discouraged, praying with the Lord there in his room. Then I saw him a little bit later, and he was encouraged. I could tell something had happened. I said, “Brother Dave, man, you seem better.” He said, “I am.” I said, “What happened to you? Did the doctor say something good, or what is going on?” He said, “No, but something happened to me. God touched me.” He said, “I don’t know how to say it. I am just telling you, God came in this room. God touched me.” He is a different man; he is on top side. By the way, God did bring him through that, and by the way, he has been able to keep his leg. Just when he needed something, in that obscure room off to the side of everybody, everything, God reached down there and touched him. Friend, Jesus reaches out to the needy. You say, “I am needy. I need something.” Oh, look around. Jesus is there. He will always be there, reaching out just when you need something.
Why? Why was it that Jesus—scripture just points out how He made a point to get to Peter? Why is that? Of course, he was needy. Then, can I say this? He reaches out to those—I am talking about Peter, but I am talking about me also. Imagine, I am talking about you also. He reaches out to those that have repeatedly fallen. How many times Jesus had to get on to Peter?
It is amazing how many times—I mention this, but I am going to read it to you—Matthew 16:22: “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” But He turned and said it to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me.” Wow. Jesus said, “You are an offense to me, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”
Then he denied Him three times, and he cut the guy’s ear off when Jesus said, “We’re not here to fight like that right now.” And then he backslid, took all those other apostles backsliding with him. I am just saying repeatedly, and yet Jesus reached out to him.
Friend, do not listen to the devil when the devil says, “The Lord does not love you anymore. You keep messing up.” I am not condoning messing up. I am not saying just keep doing yours. I am not trying to, but I am saying, oh friend, every one of us has repeatedly fallen. Every one of us. How many times—I am not going to let my mind go there, and my mind goes there. How many times our tongue just—I am not going to go there with my tongue. I am going to keep my tongue right, and we do not keep our tongue right.
I thought about preparing for the message. I thought about a man in our church years ago. He used to like to argue politics. He knew where I stood, and he stood on the other side of the aisle. I knew where he stood. I tell myself, “Now, Paul, you are not going to get into an argument.” Don’t go there. Don’t go there. Paul, you know better. You know what is about to happen. And he would get my button, and we would go there. I already knew we were not changing him, and he was not changing me. And I am not going to do it, and I do it again.
Friend, we are all there. Whether it be our mind going to negative thinking or critical thinking or thinking bad about someone, whether it be our tongue, whether it be—you say, “I am going to have my prayer time,” and you sleep in. You have prayer time. “Hey, I am going to read my Bible.” I need to get caught up on my mind. I am going to read a little bit extra. I am going to read two chapters. And you do not do it. Maybe you look at something you do not watch, maybe a movie, maybe music—I am not going to [listen to that]—and you listen to it again. I do not know what it might be. I think of how many times I say, “I am not going to miss another opportunity to witness like I ought to.” And I am out somewhere, and the Lord says, “Hey, talk to him,” and I do not do it. Or I will say, “Oh my goodness, I have been by people today and I have not given out a gospel tract.” How many times I fail the Lord?
Oh friend, I am just saying He shows up when you are repeatedly falling, and we have. Peter had, and yet Jesus reached out to Peter.
Oh, I am so glad. I am so glad to have a Savior that after His resurrection, He had so many things to do. He was raised for our justification; we preached on that this morning—to take His blood and apply it to the true mercy seat and have so many things. But in the middle of all that, in the middle of all that, saving the world, interceding, in the middle of all that, He reached out to Peter. Peter had repeatedly fallen. You say, “He has got the world to run; He has got to oversee everything.” Yeah, He is reaching out to you. He is reaching out to you. You say, “I have failed Him so many times. He can’t be…” Oh yeah, He can. He is. Can I say this? Do not give up on Peter. Yes, Peter repeatedly fell. But old Peter—it seemed like a little bit after, I am not sure exactly where, but a little bit after John 21, you will find Peter in the upper room with the apostles, and they are praying. Then, a little while later, ten days later, the Holy Ghost has fallen upon them in power. And it is Peter standing up there preaching. Peter, we know, is preaching, and about 3,000 people are saved and baptized.
A little bit later on, persecution arises, and Peter is right in the middle of it; he has been persecuted. Yet Peter does not miss a beat. He keeps preaching and standing for the Lord. In fact, at the end of his life, it was Peter that they were going to kill him for Christ’s namesake. He had been preaching about Jesus, and Peter said, “Oh no, I am not worthy to die like my Savior. I want you to crucify me upside down.” You call that being faithful?
Friend, do not give up. God is not giving up on you. Do not give up on yourself. Do not say, “Well, I have tried about a million times to overcome this thing. I will never overcome this thing.” Hey, listen, that is your flesh. That is yourself talking. That is not Jesus talking. “The mercy of the Lord endureth forever,” the Bible says. Do not give up on yourself.
“Well, I will never be that prayer where God wants me to be.” No, no, that is the devil talking. Do not say, “Well, I will never be a soul winner,” or “I will never have the marriage,” or “I will never have the home,” or “I will never have the testimony at the workplace.” No, no, friend, hey, listen, do not let Satan convince you of that lie.
They had a fish tank. They got all the little fish on one side of the aquarium, and they slid a little, thin piece of glass down the middle. The glass was so thin the fish really could not tell it was there. They were trying to swim to the other side of the aquarium, but they could not get there. They just hit that little glass. They kept hitting it, kept hitting it. I do not know, but I imagine after a while their noses got sore—and it is hard to blow your nose underwater, you know. After a while, they said, “I am not going over there.” Then they slid that thin little piece of glass up out of there. Those little fishies could swim to the other side, but they never would. They just stayed on their side.
How many Christians—how many Christians—you have given up? God is there to bring the victory and give you the strength you need to win, but you stay on your side. Joy is over here, and victory is over here, and being what God wants you to be, and yet you stay over here. Oh, He loves you, friend. He is not giving up on you. He is reaching out to you.
Can I say this while we are here? There is a difference between conviction and guilt. Conviction is from the Holy Spirit of God. Conviction is a good thing. The Holy Spirit says, “Hey, you are so far from being what you ought to be. You have drifted, and you are dull of hearing, and you are not right.” And boy, He will convict you. And then you go, “Lord, I am so sorry. I should not have said that. I should not have done this. I need to get right.” Yes, Lord, forgive me. I am so sorry. I have fallen again.
Here is the thing: God forgives. You know the verse: “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But here is guilt. You have confessed it. Sometimes you have confessed it a hundred times, and still the guilt is on you. Friend, that is not conviction; that is guilt. You see, you have gotten that thing right with God, and you have sought God’s forgiveness, and you are seeking His cleansing, and you have made things right with God, and God has forgiven you, and He has removed your transgression as far as the east is from the west, and it is gone—gone—and it is buried in the deepest part of the sea. Yet that old guilt is still on you. That is guilt, not conviction.
I thought this is interesting. God said, “I felt like a fraud.”
“So I learned to fly an airplane. 50,000 feet, I thought, I am a fraud flying an airplane. So I crossed the Atlantic in a rowboat and I docked in England. And I thought, a fraud has crossed the Atlantic in a rowboat. So I took a space shot to the moon all the way home. I thought, a fraud has circled the moon. So I took a full-page ad in the newspaper, and I confessed to the world that I was a fraud. I read the ad and thought, ‘A fraud is pretending to be honest.’”
Friend, if you are not careful, you let the devil and you let your own flesh condemn you. And God says, “I am reaching out to you. I keep showing up, Peter, in your life. In the end, I love you. I have not given up on you.” No, you say, “I have fallen so many times.” He is not giving up on you, friend. He is reaching out to you.
Won’t you say, “Oh, Jesus, I want to get back in there for You. I know You. I appreciate You reaching out to me. I appreciate You being what I need, what I am needy,” and appreciate You reaching out to me? Jesus just went out of His way to show up to Peter.
One last thing, one last thing about this: Jesus showed up in John 21. Let us look over there, if you would, John 21. I want you to see this. This is where Peter is out there fishing, and he has the other apostles out there fishing. Jesus shows up there in John 21. Look in verse number 15, if you would, please. John 21:15: “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” He saith unto him, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” He saith unto him, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” He saith unto him, “Feed my lambs.” The lambs are baby sheep, young Christians, if you will.
He said to him again the second time, “Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” He saith unto him, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” He saith unto him, “Feed my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, “Lovest thou me?” And he said unto him, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” Jesus saith unto him, “Feed my sheep.”
I kind of say this: Jesus let Peter know, “I still want to use you, Peter. I still have a plan for you. I still have a path, and I want to use you to help a whole lot of people.” Friend, Jesus has reached out to you. He says, “Hey, I still want to use you.”
Yes, you have fallen, and yes, you have issues, and yes, I want you to grow, and yes, I want to get these things right—I still want to use you. I was amazed, and I remembered this from Bible college years later: A pastor of a good church for years, an experienced pastor, told us young guys, “You know, some of my best members were members that had been divorced.”
Now, he was not trying to recommend or say divorce is okay. No, he said this: Sometimes, because they may have been through major trials and they know the sadness of the world and sin and so on, that kind of sobers them up, and they are serious about serving the Lord.
I thought about the lady at the well, Sychar’s well, when I was preparing this message. She had had five husbands. She was living with a man; she was shacking up with a guy. God is not for that, friend. And yet she got saved. There were twelve Baptist preachers around Jesus, and yet she went into town and brought a whole lot of people to Jesus. They got saved because of her.
Friend, I am saying God still likes to use you. He still has a plan for your life. I thought about Steve Currington, who was raised in a Christian home at a Christian school in Baxley. He got so far away from God; he was into drugs. Yet Jesus reached out to him. Steve Currington got his life straightened out, and he started the R.U. program, being used around the world to help people get back to the Lord and overcome their addictions and grow. They get saved so often.
I thought about a lady in our church in Indiana. She was a prostitute, a known prostitute in a very sinful area just south of Chicago. But she got saved, and I have seen that lady many a time bringing someone down the aisle in the invitation. After she got saved, she would go back and bring her friends to church and bring them down the aisle. They got saved, one after another. Oh, friend, Jesus reaches out and says, “I would still like to use you.”
The honest truth is, if you had to be perfect for God to use you, God would not have anybody to use. We are all marred. We are all flawed. We are all beaten down by sin. We all have the scars. We all have the remnants. And yet Jesus appears and says, “Hey, I still have a plan for you.” It may not be what it could have been before your sin, but He still has a plan for you. Maybe you cannot be the chandelier in the living room shining for all the people that come into the house—“Oh, look at that! That is a beautiful chandelier.” But you can still be the nightlight in the hallway for the family to see at nighttime. Oh, friend, He always has a plan.
Jesus goes out of His way. I want to reach out specifically to Peter. When you are needy, He will be there. When you are falling—we all are falling—He will reach out to you. Friend, you say, “I am so far from what I ought to be.” Yes, He will try to come. He will go there. “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” He will try to grow you. He still wants to use you. He still has somebody down the road He would like to use in their life.
Would you bow your heads wherever you are? Would you just make a little altar there where you are? Just get along with the Lord right there. Wherever you are, Jesus, and you are there, and you say, “Preacher, I am needy. Things are bothering me right now, and my world’s turned upside down, and I am just needy. I am going to be looking for Jesus.”
“Jesus, I believe You are going to reach out to me, and I know You are, and I am going to be looking for You.” I was amazed as I looked back at my day how He had been reaching out, and I missed some of it. Would you just tell Him right there, “I am going to be looking for You”? Wherever you are right there, maybe God spoke to your heart about that. Maybe you lift your hand—maybe you cannot do it physically—but maybe in your heart right there: “I am going to be looking for You, Jesus.” Let Him know that. “I am going to be looking for You.”
Maybe you are there and you say, “Preacher, I have fallen repeatedly. I am there more often than I like to admit.” Whether it be not witnessing or whether it be something else, I am falling, but I am so glad Jesus reaches out.
“Jesus, I am so thankful. I want to thank You. I do not want to wallow in it. I want to get up and get back close and get back in the fight for You.” God spoke to my heart about that. I have fallen so many times, but I am so thankful, and I want to take that You are coming to me, and I want to get back close to You. God spoke to my heart about that. That is you? Me too, me too, me too, me too, friend.
Are you there tonight and you say, “Preacher, I want Him to use me. I am not what I used to be, I understand, but oh, I believe He can take me and put the pieces back together and use me. I sure would like to be used.” Jesus, as You come, do not pass me by. I want to be used. Would You use me to help someone, to love someone, to make a difference in someone’s life, to lead someone to Calvary? Would You use me? If that is you, just let your head nod, preacher, that is me. Oh, I want to be used. God bless you, friend. God bless you, friend.
If you are there and you say, “I do not know Jesus as my Savior,” right there, friend, wherever you are, would you go to Christ? Would you go to Him? Say, “Oh Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Would You pay my sin debt? Would You save me? I cannot save myself. Would You be my personal Savior?” Thank You, Jesus, for saving me.
Friend, if you just asked Christ to be your Savior right now—if you are on YouTube, right below there is a little link. Would you click that? “I have accepted Christ as my Savior.” It will send you to another page; you fill it out. I would love to send you a free Bible and a free book. I want you to have that. Would you do that?
If you are there, I am going to have a word of prayer. Our pianist will play. Would you just spend some time for the Lord? Would you make an altar and say, “Thank You, Jesus. Thank You for reaching out to me. I am so grateful You reach out to us that are needy and that we are falling, and You still want to use us.” Would you do that? We are going to pray, and would you spend some time with the Lord?
Father, thank You so much. Thank You. You are so loving to me. I have failed You ten million times; You still love me. Thank You. Father, help us. Help me, Lord, not to have the facade. Any good thing—it really all goes back to You. You are the wonderful One. Lord, help our people wherever they are to spend some time with You. Lord, we will thank You for what You do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Original File: One thing Jesus made sure He did after the Resurrection - Pastor Paul Chisgar 41220 Pm