Sermon
Faith That Flies
December 2-3, 2000
Ken Poure

(Pastor Leighton speaking) Would you join me in warmly welcoming Ken Poure? (Congregation claps)

Thank you brother. Ron Walters. How many know Ron Walters? Have you heard him? Ah, he's a beautiful guy. Praise the Lord for his ministry, very unique in a very wonderful way. My name's Ken. I've been around a long time. Got a lot of miles on my speedometer. I'm not a pastor, just a brother. I met Christ in 1950, introduced Christ to my wife, she got saved, and we've been cooking ever since. I want to give you some good news. Are you ready for a little good news? We've been in Christian camping for 40 years, more than that, but I mean involved organizationally for 40 years. And I just think it's a shame that people don't know what's going on. God is at work. He's doing some fabulous things. Camping is just one facet of the mighty things God is doing. Last summer, 12 weeks of summer, have you got this? In over 1300 camps in America, over 5 million young people were exposed to the love of God through Jesus Christ in Christian camping. Did you know that? That's good news. (Congregation claps) Praise the Lord. Give God a hand. Amen.

I love that. As I've said so many times, God is not dead He's not even ill. He just doesn't get much press. CNN doesn't have much to do with it. But you notice the Supreme Court? Squeeze His name in there, right?, as they all held hands - under God. Got to go for it. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you happen to have one, if you don't, don't feel bad. In the second chapter of James, I've chosen for my theme today faith that flies. That implies there are faiths in individuals that don't get off the runway. And many people come to Christ and they make that crucial, critical commitment in trusting Him to be their Savior, personally, that's great, but they never get off the runway. They just kind of putt around, you know. But my friend that's not the way God's designed it. He wants us to enjoy this life. He wants to become the source (chuckles) of our faith. And the only way you can really get into this more deeply as you grow through, I've been walking with God for over 50 years, but I'm still learning. Isn't that encouraging? All the way through your life you'll learn more and more the truths that God has for us.

In the second chapter of James. James is a half-brother of Jesus. He was the son of Mary, but of course she was uniquely conceived. Some people don't understand the Immaculate Conception of Jesus. One young man said, Mr. Poure, how can you believe that? That's biologically impossible. Is he right? Can a virgin have a baby? Biologically? Impossible biologically. It's a guess. I said, that's true my friend. There's only one problem with your theory. You don't realize who it was that pulled this one off (congregation laughs). We're talking about the God who invented biology. 0h,0h yes! So we find this truth that God has spoken, and if you want to move you've got to understand the mechanism that God has set up to move us ever higher as we go in our walk with Him, closer and closer to Him, and the word - five letter word - faith. Now you say, I've heard that many times. I know what faith is all. Do you? I know you do, but I just want to encourage you.

In the 14th verse James, the half-brother of Jesus, is taking this on. He says now, What does it profit, my brother, if someone says they have faith but have no lifestyle, no works? Can that kind of faith save him? The kind of faith that does nothing? No. If a brother or sister, example, a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, "Depart in peace, be warmed, be filled with food," but you don't give them the things which are needed for their body, question - what does it profit? Answer - zip, nothing. 17th verse, Thus also faith by itself, the word itself, if it does not have works, is lifeless - is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, I have works." Question, listen, you show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by what I do. That's the positive side. You say well I believe in God. Isn't that enough? He says, be careful, don't get too excited, the devils believe in God and they tremble. So that in and of itself is not enough just to hear. Ah, do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith without works is dead? One more time, 26th verse, For as the body is dead without the spirit, so faith if it hath not works is what? Have you got the point yet?

Now the implication is that there is a faith that comes out in verbage. You can talk about it, but there's no content. A lot of people that way. A lot of religious people who have words but there's no experience. There's no relation between the words and their own lives. And so as you get it, you say, oh this is heavy. It is, but it's not really. Faith without works is dead. Watch this one. A parallel truth. Love without works is worthless. It's dead. I love you, I love you. Can you say I love you and not mean I love you? My wife, she loves to hear it, but she also likes me to come home and say I love you so much here's two tickets to Hawaii. (Congregation laughs) You see that's love that has works. And we understand that so quickly and yet we're so slow sometimes to realize that faith is a magnificent truth.

Now let's do a little dissecting here. Three thoughts about faith. One, it's universal. This will be new to some of you. Everybody has faith. Everybody lives by faith. Doesn't that sound strange? You say I thought only the just lived by faith. Well they do, but if you take a look at faith as to what it actually means, a five letter word, faith is that medium through which I perform and do whatever I do. It's universal. Let me give you some ideas. I'm not trying to be funny, but it's really interesting. If you laugh it'll be because you understand what I'm saying is true. Faith is practical. By the way, I really appreciate your pastor. I know he's wise. I don't know much about him. I haven't talked to him too many times, but he left and he went down south. Do you know where he went? Palm Springs. Oh what a smart man. That's where I live, anyway. But I drove from Palm Springs up here, 550 miles, by faith. Do you understand that? Faith in my car, faith in my fellowman that they'd stay on their side of the freeway. (Congregation chuckles) Do you see what I'm saying? I'm not trying to be funny, but that's a good truth. That's a good use of faith, and when I look at some of the people who are driving it scares me. (Congregation chuckles) You know some can't even hardly see over the steering - 70 miles - oh, oh, oh - wow. And so when you talk about faith it's very practical. The saved are saved by faith. The damned are damned by faith.

Genesis, God created a perfect man in a perfect environment. Perfect, perfect, everything is perfect, everything is perfect. And he sins by faith. Adam and Eve sinned by faith. They believed a lie. Oh my friend this is practical stuff. They believed a lie of Satan. Satan says you don't need God. They believed it and they begin to do things their way. By the way, is that argument still around? (Chuckles) Satan is not too creative. Same old line every time same old line. You don't need God. Oh I want to tell you my friend faith is practical. I go to restaurants by faith. I eat by faith. Do you understand what I mean by this now? Everybody? Do you know the cook? Did you see how the food was prepared? Oh, since I've thought about this thought I've changed my prayer. When I thank the Lord for the food I say, and please protect me. (Congregation laughs) So when you see that on a universal basis it opens up the world. Have you ever shared your testimony with someone and they'll look at you kind of sympathetically and say, oh, I wish I could believe like that. Have you heard that before? I've heard that so many times. If you're sharing your faith you'll hear it many times. And I used to be really confounded by that. I thought well maybe they weren't chosen before the foundations of the earth that's why they can't believe. My friend, listen to me carefully, it's universal everybody has it and if you don't believe the truth you are forced by a law of necessity to believe a lie. There's nothing in between.

Now believing, number two, believing is different, uniquely different, then faith. Although they come together, but you've got to see them distinctly as unique parts. Believing, biblical belief, is the content of faith. You see you can't really put your faith intelligently into anything you don't understand at all. If you have no knowledge, no input, no information you can't do much intelligently. Romans 10, a favorite, the Bible says how shall they believe on Him in whom they have not heard? Remember that's our missionary deal. You've got to preach the word, see. That's content. Okay? So you begin to recognize that there has to be a content before there can be intelligent response. Do you understand what I'm getting on? Here's an example, secular, believe on Sam Schmortz and thou shalt be rich. Now what's your first response? Who is Sam? Your mind is wired to immediately say, who is Sam? What does he know about it that I don't know about it? You see? And that content is believing.

Now you can believe in something and not have faith in it. I believed in God all my life. I can never remember a time saying I don't believe in God. I've always believed in God because I heard it since I was a young man. My mom and dad were Christians, and I went to a good church and they preach the Word. I always believed. I believed believed, but it had very little effect, if any, on my life style in high school. Oh, oh weird. You know, rendezvous ballroom. Any of you that old? Easter bow week. Remember bow week, any of you bow week? Bless you, bless you, yes. Dancing? Now watch this, I want to show you. Trained up in the church. Dancing with a little chick just going back and forth, shoulder to shoulder, jam packed, Charlie Barnett honking away and I look over her shoulder and I see a guy with a chain around his neck with a crucifix on it. Do you know what I mean? A crucifix with the body of Jesus symbolized on a cross. And I was so straight in my theology because I went to church I made a point. I pushed my little gal aside and I said, hey Buddy, I said, do you know that Jesus is not hanging on that cross anymore? Now see how fundamental I was? But my spirit I'm sure was wrong because he pushed his girl and we had it out. They threw us out the side door. (Congregation laughs) And I remember driving home that night, I fought for God tonight. You know, weird things that happen to you when you're exposed up here but there's no reality in your heart. So faith is universal. It's more than believing.

Let me give you a definition. If you're writing, put it down. Biblical faith is believing God to a point of commitment. If there's no commitment, there's no faith, just words. Have you got it? That's practical. I'll give you one more. Now faith is understood - the idea of really letting God get a hold of your life. It's more than believing. It's the only thing that pleases God. Did you know the Bible said that? Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is, what? Impossible. Do you know the Greek meaning for the word impossible in the Greek? Here it is, impossible. (Chuckles) I love it. It just means exactly what it says. There is no way possible. Do you understand that? Let me ask you a question. Answer it. We're just here. Do you want to please God? Now friend if you're sincere, and I believe you are, it's by learning what faith is more accurately in your life. How to really be, not just a believer, but a believer to a point of commitment. And once you start doing truth then you'll know truth. The only way you can know truth is by doing truth. You can sit there and read about it all your life and go through everything else, it's just words, but the moment you say I do to truth and do it by responding to God personally divine miracles take place. Amen?

All right, now so the idea is just three little thoughts there. Now you say, Ken, if I take those thoughts and apply them in practical life, how do we come up? Well, without faith it's impossible to please Him. The Bible instructs for anyone who comes to God, what's the next word? Must - m-u-s-t - that's an imperative, must believe that He is self-existent. Who are you God? He said I am that I am. You must believe that God is, and that too He's the rewarder of them that seriously or diligently seek Him. Now this is the Word of God. Hebrews 11:6. Get a hold of it. Now if I'm to please God then I have to understand faith to the extent that I operate, not out of ignorance, but out of intelligent information that I've received from His Word. It's just that simple. Now you say, Ken, let's take a look at that question. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. Do you believe in God? Now we're just talking friendly. Do you believe in God? You say, yes Ken, I do. I've always believed in God. I have too, but do you know why you believe in God? Do you have any reason for the hope that's within you?

Just supposing, just supposing I was a nice atheist. Just supposing, Ivan the atheist, and I ask you, I say, do you believe in God? And you say yes. Now I ask a second question. Watch it. How many of you not only believe in God, but how many of you know God personally? Raise your hand. Now see that's a different question. That's a different question see. Now if I was an atheist I'd say, oh you say that you know God you that raised your hand. Let me ask you one question. How do you know you know? Now I don't want to confuse anybody, but my friend that's not an easy question. If you've never thought this one through you'll have a hard time. Oh, I just do. Well that's better than nothing, but I mean, that doesn't answer anything. How do you know there's a God?

Let me give you just a little nugget. Can I do it? The Bible says God is knowable by the things that He has made. Ah so grasshopper. Think about it. Now we make stuff, we make things, so we understand made. Now let me show you how this works. Let me just pick on this. Do you see that piano there? Do you know what that proves to me conclusively without any fear of contradiction? That somewhere on this earth there is a piano maker. Are you with me? You say, Mr. Poure, did you see somebody make the piano? No. Did you talk to anybody who made the piano? No. Did you talk to somebody who talked to somebody who made the piano? No, no. How can you be so convinced? I am so convinced on what I just told you about the piano maker if I was a gambling man, and I'm not, not with cash anyway, out on the freeway yes, but not to gamble. I could take five grand and lay it out on the table and say, hey, I believe what I just said is true. I believe that somewhere on this earth there is a piano maker. The piano demands a piano maker. That would be very comfortable. I'd pick up another 5. Now you say will Ken, wait a minute. That's jumping to conclusions. That's the only exercise some Christians get, jumping to conclusions. Let's jump, let's jump and say I don't think in a piano maker. Now do you understand what happens when you say that? What's your next problem? Do you understand it?

Question, where did it come from? If I don't believe in a piano maker where did it come from? Well, if I don't believe in a piano maker I have to devise a theory. I'm going to have a theory. Are you ready for the theory? One possibility - it's always been a piano. (Congregation laughs) Some of you who have been in science class realize I'm bouncing off some truth that we are taught today in our secular schools. Hey it's always been. Do you believe that? I can't believe that. I know a little bit about physics, and the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy, means everything is running down not running up. So, always, no. Another possibility, maybe the molecules that make up that piano right now maybe they, a long time ago, long time ago, decided to get together and organize themselves, and to design themselves, and to construct themselves into that piano. Do you know that's being taught in the universities of our great land? Do you realize what that means when you say something like that? You say by faith that you believe that non-intelligent matter can organize itself into highly intelligent forms. Arf, arf, arf. (Congregation laughs) I can't believe that. Can you? Come on. If somebody tells me they're an atheist I congratulate them. I really do and I do it sincerely. I say man you've got more faith than I've got. They'll say well what you mean by that? I said, if you don't believe in God you don't believe in a creator, therefore you are forced by a law of necessity to believe that nobody + nothing = everything. I don't have that much faith. (Congregation chuckles) And you can get into some interesting contradiction to that, anyway. (Congregation claps) Amen.

So when you come to God the very first thing you must have is faith in His existence, to believe that He is. Wow. And He is a rewarder of them that seriously seek Him. Now as we're looking for reality let me give you a little thought that's worth its weight in gold. A little three prong, how can I know reality? You know that's a big question. New Agers come in and they have all these ideas. The ultimate reality, I am God, and all this stuff, that's good, but the only way you can test it - three legs on a stool. You can sit on a three legged stool. You can't sit on a two legged stool. It won't hold. One, you've got to be a really good balancer. But three legs gives you stability. Take the three concepts of how you know reality. All right. One, objective, outside. Objective compared with subjective compared with collective. This is good stuff now. Truth, how do I know that that was made by a piano maker? Objective proof, there's a piano. The Bible says God can be known by the things He's made. If you want to know what worship is, to me worship is worth ship. When I realize how great our God is. What's the greatest thing God has made on this planet? Do you know? Our body. Simple bodies, eyeballs, technicolor, wide angle lens, depth perception. We just take it for granted it. Who designed the eyeball? Tastebuds, four little senses and you can taste everything from lasagna to beef steak. (Congregation laughs) Do you like that? Our God did that for us. All my fingers are a different length until I close them and they automatically become the same length. Ah so. You know if it wasn't that way you couldn't pick anything up. But I got this one cut off and I miss that little piece there. You say, Ken, what happened. Well I'm a preacher I had three points, now I have two and a half. But the big problem is when I pick up a handful of peanuts they leak out through that hole. (All laugh) Now we're laughing. We enjoy that. But all of our parts are put together for a purpose. Amen? Our God is so wise. Isn't that good, isn't that good, isn't that good?

So objective proof we could go on and on. Some great things are happening in science today that have never happened before. In the world of biology there's an earthquake in biology. Intelligent design, whenever you see ID - intelligent design - a dear brother by the name of Philip Johnson who taught in Berkeley, had for 26 years, criminal law. And he got ticked off when one of his buddies was busted because he said a little bit in his class about the possibility of God, and he was excommunicated from his office. Phil Johnson got upset and he went in and he said I've always, you know, heard about evolution. As a criminal lawyer I've never looked at Darwin so he jumped in and he was so blown away of the faulty false premise of this evolutionary idea that is being taught today as fact. He got up his first book. Write this one down. It's good if you haven't got it. Darwin on trial. He doesn't take him on as a scientist he takes him on as a criminal lawyer. Chop, chop, chop, ah spaghetti. But anyway, the point here there are some great things happening in the area of scientific conclusions that include an all-wise creator. That's interesting. Take a look at it before you shut it off. Good stuff.

Now that's objective - subjective, I've already shared with you. I grew up in a great home and everything, but I had God kind of in a compartment someplace but He had no influence in my life. When I left the church I forgot about God. I used His name in my high school years frequently, but never convicted about it using it in vain, you know? So I went through this thinking I was a Christian because, you know, I went to church all the time. Well I got to my 20th birthday and Mel and I were married when we were 18. Fifty-two years with Mel, what a chick, and she would be here. She got a job down at our church and they found how organized she was, and she took the job and she's working today. But the point is that on my 20th year something brand new happened to me. We had a new pastor come to our church, a young guy just out of seminary, and he took a liking to me because I was a used car wheeler-dealer, you know? I guess. I don't know why, but anyway he asked me, he called me on the phone one time. I was at the lot and he said Ken, he says, we've got a group of junior highers down here that need a trip to camp. Can you take them? As nicely as I could I said I'm sorry and I hung up. About 30 minutes later my Dad showed up who was a deacon of our church, and the pastor had called him I didn't know anything about it. He talked me in, but he didn't hit me direct. Oh my Dad's a salesman. He knows, he knows. So he walks in and says Ken, Mom and I have been talking about all the extra hours you've been spending at the lot here. We think you ought to take the weekend off.

I said Dad when does it start? He says right now. And so I head for the door. I get to the door and my dad says, Son, he says, why don't you take my new cad? Ah, ah, that was so good because nobody drives his cad. So when I heard that, there's a hook in here somewhere. (Congregation laughs) but I'm not saying this to laugh, God used it because I wasn't going up there any other way. And I took it thinking, hey there's a hook on this, but I was so excited. Dad, see you later. And the second time through the door he said, Son, before you leave won't you need a little extra spending money? Pulled a big wad out, flaked them out. I couldn't believe it. I walked over there. Now watch this deal. Do you know what a deal is? Any salesmen here? My dad's dealing. I reached out and grabbed the money, picked it up and looked in the face of Jackson, then my father said, you'll love this, he said, by the way son would you do your daddy a little favor? (Congregation laughs) I said, Daddy you name it, it's done. And then he smiled: there's a group of junior... And I got conned into taking these kids to a Christian camp. Got up there - long story short -had no intention of staying, but when I got there they made me a counselor. He took a little Bible - I didn't even recognize what it was -pastor shoved it in my stomach and said Ken, we're short one boy's counselor. I looked at the thing and I turned it around. That's what I did, I shoved it back and said, I hope you find him. (Congregation laughs) you know, I had my plans. I started to get in the car and God turned on six junior high boys that I brought up, and they all pulled my coat like this and said, oh Mr. Poure, Mr. Poure, won't you please be our counselor? God uses junior highers. I love those little guys. Do you understand junior highers? We call them pre-people. Now do you understand what I mean by that? That's not a chop. They're old enough to get in trouble, but they don't know why. (Everybody laughs)

But anyway here I am at this Christian camp. Never been to one in my life. Went to the meeting that night. A guy from the deep South, Jimmy Johnson - oh Jesus loves you, God has a wonderful plan. And I just loved the way he talked. I love these Southern guys south of the mountain, wooow de wooow de woow. In fact as I listened to him I thought this thought, I thought now I know why the South lost the Civil War. They talked so slow, wooow de wooow. (Congregation laughs) Here's another thought I thought while he was talking, boy if that guy was selling cars he could be making big bucks. So he got to the end of his sermon, he leaned out over the pulpit, and he said to these junior highers, how many of you boys and girls know my Jesus. I had never heard that in my life. So personal. He said bow your head. I got up and walked out, quietly, walked out the back. A couple of hours of free time, whatever it was, ding on the bell. Every camp as a bell. Ding Dong. I go to my assigned cabin with my boys, and I don't know what a counselor is but God is tearing me apart. I thought I was a Christian. I went to church all the time. Isn't that what a Christian is?

So I got in there and I didn't know what I was doing, and I said, all right guys come here. No messing around, come on, come on. And I reached up to turn the light off and just as I did a little kid with a little impediment of speech. I'm not making fun of him. He was just so cute the way he said it, he said, Mr. Poure? I said yeah. He said, aren't we going to have a devotion? And I said to him, what? What's a devotion. Tell me what it is, we'll have it. He said, well it's when you read out of the Bible before we go to sleep. Now I don't know if you can pick up what happened. Bibles were very familiar books, you know, everybody has one. And I'm twenty years old. I've been selling cars for 4 years, I've got a motor mouth, and he's in junior high, a little kid. No problem, yeah. I really thought, I looked at, I said yeah, we'll have a devotion. So I opened up and I did not realize till that moment that I knew nothing about this book, and as I looked through it I could just feel the blood coming up in my face. Look at, there are no pictures in it, nothing. 0h, wow. (Congregation laughs) And God used those junior highers to help me realize how much I didn't know. So I was trying to recover. Well guys, I said, I don't have anything picked out tonight. I said, I'm thinking fast, I said, why don't you ask me some questions about the Bible, I'll give you the answers and that will be devotions. Not bad, huh? On my feet thinking. The kid on the top bunk says, Mr. Poure, he says, I have a question. I said, what is it? Listen to this. He said, where it is heaven? Well, I said, heaven, it's up there (pointing up -congregation laughs). Now listen to what he said. A junior higher said this. Just like that he said, if that's true Mr. Poure where will it be tomorrow? Do you understand? Earth's rotating. I said I never thought about that before. Those kids asked me three or four questions, I couldn't answer anything. I was so embarrassed, and you know, that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I said, you guys go to sleep. I'll get the answers. I'll see you in the morning. And I was upset with myself. I thought I knew this stuff.

So I walk into my room and my partner is Jimmy Johnson, the speaker of the weekend. So I introduce myself to him, and he to me. I'm already impressed with the guy. He's a good speaker. And I said, Johnson, I've got a few questions. I said, do you mind if I can fire a few questions? He had a Thompson chain reference Bible. Do you understand what I mean by that? They're big. They're about a third bigger than any normal Bible. And he stood like this, and he said yeah. He stood up when we introduced each other, he said, what's your question? I said, let me ask you a question, eyeball contact, where's heaven? And he looked down and said well, we don't really know about it. And it looked like he just did that two or three times (section flipping), and the things fell open and maybe he moved a page or two, but not many. He's in the book of Job. He says, well it says here in Job 14:9, he says, the throne of God is in the North. That's all we know about it. It's in the North. And so I just said, well yeah, but where's it going to be in the morning? (Congregation laughs) And he smiled back and he said, in the North. (All laugh) And you know I fired every question I had plus a few of my own, and he had this big old Thompson flipping it back - well, read this passage, and I'd read it and there's the answer. I couldn't believe it. Finally I'm out of questions, and then he turned. God was in this man because I was already impressed with him. He was enjoying life. He was 40 years old. I thought he was an old guy. He was enjoying it. And, I said, well, I said, I don't have any more questions. He said, do you mind if I ask you a question? I said, no. He's about that big. I thought if he got smart I'd give him a finger sandwich and we'd moved out, and I mean, I was ready for anything, you know. And he says - eyeball contact. Now do you understand eyeball contact? Girls? You've got to learn this. How to talk to a man eyeball contact. Don't look at their forehead. Don't look at his ear - eyeball.

He had me. Cops, all cops have hawk eyes. Get out of the car. Now you understand that, bumba. So he's looking me right in the eye and he says this, now listen to it, do you know my Jesus? I had never had a man talk to me like that. I never heard that question before until he preached it that night. And I'll tell you by this time the kids had really unset me, and now he's asking this very personal question, and he's waiting for an answer. Here's what I came back with: I said, well I know my mom, my dad, my brother, my wife, my friends, but I said frankly, I don't know what you're talking about. I was honest with him. He says, Kenny, you can know Jesus in a way more intimately than you know all your friends and family put together. Now friends understand me, when he said that, I just wrote him off - ding-a-ling, you know, light's on nobody's home. And so I said, yeah, anything you say mister, sure. I backed up about two steps. He said, I can prove it to you. Now I like that word. I said, do it. He says, where are your friends and family? I said, they're all over Southern California. He said, in other words they're not right here in this room? I said, that's right. They're not right here in this room. Then he smiled a gentle little loving smile and said, my Jesus is here. And you know he was so authentic I get goose pimples even saying that, and I said it 1000 times. I did not understand, and the way he said I was afraid to turn around. I thought maybe Jesus was standing behind me. (Congregation laughs) And that night he shared with me this simple truth, he said, Kenny I believe you believe in God, don't you? I said, oh yeah. Do you believe in Jesus? Yeah I could pass my little test. Do you believe he died on the? Yeah. Buried? Yeah. Rose? Yeah. Coming? Yeah. I had it all straight. He said, do you know what I think your problem is? I learned a great secret from him. He asked if I wanted to know. That kept my mind open. Always ask questions. I got that from Jesus too. Always asking questions. And so I said, yeah, what do you think? He says, I think you believe in all these things, even with Jesus, but your problem is you've never (his Southern accent) you've never received Him as your personal Savior. That's what I think you need to do. You need to ask Jesus to come into your life and mean it. And then he said goodnight. And the guy turned around and went to bed. I'm sitting going daaaah. I tried to go to sleep and all I could see when I closed my eyes is those little hawk eyes. Do you know my Jesus? (Congregation chuckles) And I thought, I said, I don't know that I've ever made that personal commitment. I did it because my mom and dad told me to, but not my heart. And so that night I whispered a little prayer and asked Jesus to come into my heart. See?

Objective, yes. Subjective, oh He's real. I went home. Didn't tell anybody at the came. I walked in the door Melba said, hi honey, how ya. And then she looked like that, you know how wives look when they kind of eyeball you. She said, what happened to you? (Congregation laughs) And the way she looked I thought I had dirt on my pants or something, I said, what do you mean? She said, honey you look different. And I didn't know how to talk Christian yet. So I said, well honey, I don't know. Maybe it's because of a deal I made with God. A deal (chuckles). And she said, what kind of the deal did you make with God? I said, well I just gave Him the rest of my life. Do you know what she did? She laughed. She broke up. And I said, what are you laughing at me? Here's what she said, she said, you'll get over that in a hurry. But I didn't get over it. Three months later she gave her heart to Christ. Both church members now, but we really got serious and we've been cooking ever since. I mean it just - the difference between sitting on the runway, and taking off in-flight with God it is really exciting.

So the first one, objective proof, combined with subjective proof, now watch this one to, the third one, my last one, is collective proof. You say how can you come up with that? Here. It's simple. All of you that have had a similar experience in whatever the pathway was, but you came to a moment of truth and you invited Christ into your heart and He became a personal reality to you, all I want you to say is yes. (Congregation says yes) Now that's my collective proof. Now do you understand? You say, well that's flimsy. Oh is it? Think about it, flimsy. Well what if it's not true? Well, I took a deep breath I said to the boy, I said well if it's not true and what you say is true, when you're dead you're dead, I said if it's not true. I've got a beautiful psych out. If it's not true, I said, I know where I came from, I know who I am, and what I'm supposed to be doing, and I know where I'm going. And I said, that's a result of my faith in God. And I said, if I die and there's nothing to it, huh, I won't even know it. That's kind of a weird argument, but I mean it's a good one. But I said, what if what I'm saying is true and you wake up on the other side face to face with God? And this guy's eyes got bigger and he said, that's heavy man heavy. That is heavy. You see we all have to make a choice by faith, but I'll tell you when you put it in God with a content to your faith that He is, and that He's a rewarder of him that diligently seeks Him, seriously. Do you know what that means? Pay attention.

Let me give you one more and then I've got to go. I told you Mel and I were married 52 years ago. Now think about this. It is a parallel truth with commitment to God. All right? Fifty-two years ago I went in a little ceremony at the First Baptist Church. I went up there and I told the pastor I don't want any long staff. Just two words to that's it for me. And so he got to the - Ken do you take Melba to be your lawful wedded - that's all he said, and I said I do. Okay? Now that was 52 years ago. Now believe me there has not been a day in my life from that night to this moment that I haven't had Melba in my arms or in my heart. Wherever I go she's there, and I just - two words two dinky words. But I've repeated them every day of my life since then. I do, yes dear I will, yes darling. (Everybody laughs) And to me the parallel truth is when you say I do to Jesus and mean it, you can't live a day without thinking about Christ. He lives in our heart. And the way you get along with Him, you say yes Lord I will, I will, I do. Jesus said if you love Me feel groovy. (Congregation chuckles) Did He say that? That's wrong. He said if you love Me do what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it. Amen. How does it work? It's very simple. Jesus says take My yoke. Learn of Me. What does that mean? Bible study - Paul says study to show yourself approved. The workmen that need not be ashamed. Now listen to me, it's going to be funny, but it's true. Do you know the secret to Bible study? I'm going to give it to you. Are you ready? Study the Bible. (Congregation laughs) That's how simple it is. Don't talk about it. Don't look for another tape. Just get down with the word of God and say, Lord, and I'm hungry to know the truth. Boy, you'll get fed.

Do you know the secret to prayer? Praying. You God it. See how relevant prayer is and you begin to realize that you walk in an attitude of dependence. That doesn't mean when I pray without ceasing, it doesn't mean I walk around all day on my knees. I just live in an attitude of dependence, and when those moments, I know the Lord is leading. It's just so simple. And you get into that walk with God and it gets better all the time. 52 years with Melba and you say, well everything is... Now I'm not, you can talk to Melba. We're still different people, but our love's getting better all the time. Do you remember the Beatles? I used to remember listening to them and they said you die at 30, ha ha ha, sexually. No, no, no, 40, ha ha, 50, ha ha, 60, ha ha. I don't know how far it goes, but yes Jesus. The beauty that God unfolds to the individual who's willing to take His path and follow Him. Whatsoever He saith unto you, do. When? Now. The only moment that you can ever surrender to God is when? Now. The moment you say now it's history, now, and we're living in a new now. The living sacrifice is learning to die moment by moment by moment by giving up your selfishness to God and say, Lord, not my will but Thy. It's an attitude that you form and God works through it. Philippians 2:13, for it is God who is all the while at work within you both to will and to do His own good pleasure. It's not me trying to copy Christ and live, walk in the footsteps. It sounds nice, but I make myself available and let the Spirit of God live the life of Jesus through me. Amen?

Father, that's enough for today. We just praise You for the freedom we have in this land to preach the Word, the truth, the simple bottom-line basic truth of faith. And Lord we've all said within our hearts in some way we want to please You. And You've told us so plainly the only way we can please You is by believing what You say it to a point of making a commitment, not tomorrow, not yesterday, but right now. Lord bless us to understand more completely what it means to live in an ever present now. Let the pause in my prayer for just a moment. There might be someone within the sound of my voice right now you say, Ken, I'm kind of like you. I've heard the Word all my life, but there's something missing in my life that never has been fulfilled. I don't know but let me ask you. Have you of your own free choice, understanding the principles of faith, have you ever said Lord Jesus I want You to come into my heart into my life? Have you ever done that? If that's a question mark right now just throw it, and just say Lord if not before right here and right now I invite You, I receive You according to Your Word. I want You to come into my life. But to as many as received Him to them He gives the authority to become members of God's forever family. Put your trust in Him right now. Ask Him to come into your heart and He will. Father, we thank you for this privilege together. We thank you for every prayer that's been offered. You've heard them. Now we just pray dear Lord that You'll do Your part and manifest Yourself to them in a unique way that they'll know that they have contacted You by faith. Lord bless them so full it will leak out of their eyes, leak out of the tones of their voices. Lord just bless us that we might be a blessing to You and to all we come in contact with this day, and we'll thank you for it for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen