We greet you in the only name that is worthy, in the name of Jesus. There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved, only in the name of Jesus. And that name gives us a lot. I mean, that name is so wonderful and so precious, we sing about it. We pray that name and we exalt that name. Why? Why do we do this? There's a reason. Because there is no other name that is worthy of that honor, that glory, and that praise. And so we are here. The time has finally come. And you may have been looking forward to this and expectation a little more than I was. Meetings like this is always work. It's not, that's not bad for us. It's good for us. And so continue to pray for these meetings. We want God to be exalted. We do not want the flesh to be in the way. And so we trust that we can look to God for messages. And so, and like was stated in the introduction, I am from the Clearview congregation in Montezuma, Georgia, my wife and I. We do have six children and we have nine grandchildren and two more on the way. There's one waiting for us till we get home, I believe, I hope. But anyways, so we wish to exalt the name of Christ in these meetings as we always have tried Many times we have failed in the past. And as Paul writes, he says, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. So sometimes our flesh wants to get in the way. And we say, Lord God, not here, not this. You know, as we struggle in the flesh, And yet one thing we can understand is that God always knows what is best. We do not have to understand God's ways because they are beyond our comprehension. God knows what's best. Sometimes life brings us things that are not pleasant. It was made known to us in the prayer request. In other words, it was a request made as a prayer request that we should pray for this nation, pray not only for this nation, but for the countries of the world. Brothers and sisters, I really believe, and I may be large on some of this a little later on, but I really believe that we very well could face times that we that the flesh could recoil in. And yet we know that the grace of God is always there and there will always be a people of God until the end of time. And so what we want to be is be the people of God. We want to make choices that relates to that end because that is our focus. That is where we want to look, that's where we are focused upon. this world and all its things that are going on, they will pass away. But God and His people, God, His people made glorious through the blood of Jesus Christ, gives us power to overcome. And so we as a people of God can overcome in the name of Jesus. And it is in that name that I come before you tonight. The message for tonight, I kind of wondered about this, because I'm like, who's going to understand this? I've entitled the message, The Heart of God. Now, I am the human flesh, How am I going to understand the heart of God? Now, we know that we are very limited in our mental capabilities of understanding the heart of God. Because God is so wonderful, God is so great, and we are as nothing before Him. We are as a little grain of sand before Him. How are we going to understand the heart of God? I believe that God wants us in some respects and to some form or other to come to an understanding at least to some form of what his heart really is. And so I have entitled this message, the heart of God. And it's a subject that is as deep as it is wide. And we cannot fully comprehend or understand, much less explain the fullness of the heart of God. And yet, how are we going to comprehend even what little that we as a Christian people can understand? How are we going to do this? How do we understand what is the heart of God? And by the way, I'll tell you, like I tell many folks when I've gone out for meetings here and there, I tell them, I said, at home, when I ask a question, I want an answer. And so, if I don't want an answer, I'll keep talking, but if I stop, I will expect an answer. So, in your mind, How are we going to, as a Christian people, understand the heart of God? The word of God, the word, pardon? And the spirit of God, amen, brother. The word of God and the spirit of God, and that is how we at least gain an understanding of just a minute part of the heart of God. And yet, I believe that God gives us enough of an understanding of His heart that we can make decisions in life based upon our understanding that affect the way we walk, the things we talk, and what we do. that there is that, and if you'll notice, there are people around us that do not think about God, do not care about God. And you notice a difference in the life of these people versus difference in the life of a person that loves God. You look at the joy on the face of the Christian man and woman, the Christian people, And you can go all the way back through history and look and see what man has tried to do, or we can say what the kingdom of darkness has tried to do to the church, to the Bible and to God's kingdom and has failed. The word of God continues to be strong. There are people that have given up the faith, And that is not beyond, how would you say, it is not beyond our capabilities. You know, the Bible says, he that thinketh, he standeth, take he lest he fall. And so as we continue to look at the heart of God this evening, we come somewhat to an understanding that would guide our hearts and our lives to know him. The Bible is full of the feelings of God's heart. And God gave us his word to help us to understand him. And that is correct. The Bible and the Holy Spirit guide us and help us to understand God and his heart. Now let's turn for a text to the book of Isaiah. Chapter 43, and I'm going to read the first 21, I'm going to read the first 21 verses here. Verse one through 21, Isaiah chapter 43. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob. He that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest to the waters, I will be with thee. Through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, they shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For, why? I am who? I am the Lord. thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Saba for thee, since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable and I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life. "'Fear not, for I am with thee. "'I will bring thy seed from the east "'and gather thee from the west. "'I will say to the north, give up, "'and to the south, keep not back. "'Bring my sons from far and my daughters "'from the ends of the earth. "'Even everyone that is called by my name, "'for I have created him for my glory.'" See this? I have created them for my glory. I have formed him, yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled, who among them can declare this and show us former things. Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified, or let them hear and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe me and understand that I am the Lord. Before me there was no God formed, neither was there after me. Even I am the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior. There is beside me no Savior. I have declared and have saved. I have showed when there was no strange God among you. Therefore, ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yea, before the day was, I am He. And there was none that can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who will let it? Thus saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. For your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their nobles and the Chaldeans whose cry is in the ships. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your God. Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea and a path in the sea. in the mighty waters which bringeth forth the chariot and horse the army and the power and they shall lie down together they shall not rise they are extinct they are quenched as toe remember ye not the former things neither consider the wings of old behold i will do a new thing now it shall spring forth and shall you not know it i will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert the beast of the field shall honor me "'The dragons and the owls, because I give waters "'in the wilderness and rivers in the desert "'to give drink to my people, my chosen. "'This people have I formed for myself. "'They shall show forth my praise.'" Now, I will have a question tonight. What are we doing? Where are we at as relates to the kingdom of God? Are we showing forth His praise? Are we a living witness? Because the Bible says that he that is ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of them. And we dare not as a Christian people be ashamed. How many times is our failure of witnessing has been a hindrance to someone or someone did not receive the gospel or did not receive our testimony or was blessed by our testimony because we did not and we're ashamed. And just a simple thing is going to a restaurant, eating there, bowing your heads and praying. You know, it's a blessing to me when I see people sitting down at a table and bowing their heads and praying. And another thing, I do that more lately than I probably ever have. Sometimes I work it at a feed meal. I spread their fertilizer for them, and I also spread litter if you please. And so that's not the most pleasant smelling job, but hey, that's part of the job. So anyways, some people sometimes make fun of what I do, okay? Even some made poems about what I do, but nevertheless. But nevertheless, even in all this, sometimes my work is slow. Mid-Georgia Farm Service needs somebody to deliver feed. I'll jump in the semi-truck and deliver a load of feed. As I go down the road, even when I'm spreading, going down the road, and I see a ribbon somewhere on a mailbox or at a church, and I'm thinking, somebody died here. or there's a newborn here. And in my journeys, I will just commit that person, whatever the instance, to the Lord. I'm saying, Lord, bless whatever. I'll drive by a church and I'll say, Lord, bless the people in this church. And I believe that we as a Christian people, we are called to pray for other people, even though they may not do everything like we do. God knows the heart. We can't judge them. We can pray for them and the Holy Spirit can guide them into all truths. And so that is our duty and our responsibility. But I will have to confess to you that too many times I am just a little bit judgmental because somebody doesn't do things that I think they should. But God knows the heart. And I have chosen the last part of verse 1 of this chapter as a text, or as a thought for this message. Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. And it talks about in this portion of scripture, he says, I have formed thee. Let's go into some other scriptures here before we go on. Isaiah chapter 43, and I've chosen just a few verses in a couple of these chapters right around here, because this is where we are. But there are a host of scriptures that we could turn to that where God claims His own, and pronounces a special blessing upon His own. And this is all, let's remember, the title of the message is the heart of God. And we will come to a little more in depth of that part of the message. Okay, Isaiah chapter 44, I'm sorry, I said 43, 44 verses one through eight. Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee. Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou, Jessarun, whom I have chosen, for I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring, and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses, and shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe. "'with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself "'by the name of Israel. "'Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, "'and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, "'I am the first, I am the last, "'and beside me there is no God.'" Again, the name of God, and there is no one beside him. God is so wonderful. Now let's go to chapter 41. Chapter 41, verses 10 through 16. Fear not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against me shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be as nothing. They shall strive with thee. They that strive with thee shall perish, thou shalt seek them and shall not find them, even them that contend with thee. They that war against thee shall be as nothing, as a thing of naught. For I, the Lord God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee. Fear not thou worm, Jacob, and ye men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. And I'm here tonight to tell you, my friends, brothers and sisters, I am telling you, fear not because the Lord is with you. We should not fear. And the Bible says that perfect fear casteth, perfect love, if I can say it right, perfect love casteth out fear. And so even in this time of COVID, if you please, I see many people that have fear in their lives. And I'll just give you one example of what happened in, I believe it happened in the city of Perry, which is close to Montezuma. One of our ladies came to Walmart and they had, you know how they had everything blocked off and they were giving people masks so they could wear masks. And the man asked one, one of the Mennonite ladies said, why do you Mennonite ladies not, you Mennonites not wear masks? And the lady gave the very good, correct answer. She said, it's because in our life, there is no fear. Now in this COVID time, I did not want to be the instrument of somebody's death. I tried to play it safe, which I think we all do as Christian people. But we have to understand, God has our life in His hands. And as long as we follow Him, as long as we follow His precepts, we understand to some extent what is in the heart of God. God is so good. And God gives us peace in the time of turmoil. These verses help us to understand somewhat the heart of God for his people and for his church. And if we go to Genesis 1, before we go to Genesis 1, I would like to ask you a question. Can you prove that God is? Is there any way that we can prove to an atheist that God is? Somebody says there is no God. There is no way a person that does not want to believe that we are going to make them believe that there is no God, that there is a God, excuse me. We cannot make them believe that there is a God, but we can do one thing. We can pray. And we can be a living witness and a testimony and that speaks to the people around us probably more than if we try to convince them that there is a God. It's like one preacher said, you cannot explain God You can't put him in a test tube. You can't put him in a laboratory. You can't explain. But we can live and we can be living testimonies. God, let's go on. In Genesis 1, God made man. When we think about the heart of God, I wanted to come to this because I believe that God of the universe, created the world and all that is therein. And the Bible begins in the first three words of the Bible, is in the beginning, God. In the beginning, God. Now there's no explanation. There's no other reasoning. in the beginning God. And we come to understand this God is a creator of the universe. And you look around us and you look around and if you walk at night like I do a lot of times, you see the stars and the universe and you see everything going on. You see how the moon, how the sun rises, it goes down. The moon follows its course and its path. And ever since the world began, everything has its course. And God, in the beginning of time, created the world, the animals. And in Genesis chapter one, God also says, and he formed man, and he made him, how? in his image. In the image of God created he him and he blew into his nostrils, what? The breath of life. Brothers and sisters, that breath of life has followed man all the way down through. Every person in this world that has lived ever after and is living today has the breath that God gives to us. I don't care if you're agnostic. You don't profess God. God has given you the breath that you have. And as God breathed into man, that breathed into man's nostrils, the breath of life, now man has. What did that do to man that the animals don't have? There is an eternal being within us. It's not because of anything else, but God. God breathed into man the breath of life. And God is the one that gets the credit. And so we are here to bring honor and glory to him because God gives us life. And we will go more into that probably Thursday night. Why did God create man? For his pleasure. I have a question. Go ahead. Relationship. That was kind of my question. Do you not believe that God wanted fellowship with man? God wanted somebody to speak to. And so in the heart of God, he wanted somebody to speak to. I don't know how long after he created man, but I don't think it was that very long. Some people have their ideas. Some people have writings on this, it might be a couple of days, it might not be, it might be a couple of weeks, who knows how long it was. That Eve looked and beheld the fruit of this tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the devil said, now look here, if you eat of this tree, you'll be like God. Do you wanna be like God? You know, we want to be like God, don't we? But God said, do not eat of this tree. And it brought sin. And the presence of God cannot stand sin. So I believe God separated himself. God walked in the cool of the evening and said, Adam, where art thou? What did Adam say? Well, you know, they made excuses, like we do so many times, made excuses. So man sinned and that relationship was severed. In human relationships, let's talk about human relationships. Looking for I thought maybe you'd have a board up here, but you don't that's fine in human relationships, you know many times we use The heart To define close relationships You know when I when I think about that I God made man, and God wanted a relationship to man. In human relationships, sometimes you have, fact is last Sunday afternoon, our youngest son, who is married, has a set of precious twins that are a little over a year old, and One of the boys went upstairs and he brought down this, and I didn't even know it was up there, this little piece of this board about this long and had E and a heart and her first letter, which is a T, which is Eldon loves Tinsley. And so I was like, I didn't know that existed. I didn't even know it was up there. But I would like to do this. In our walk of life, when we think of the heart of God, I want to put God, heart, your name. God loves you. God's heart reaches out to you because he loves you. The world needs to understand that God loves them as well. People that do not love God, God still loves them. And the world makes all kinds of movies and things that pertain to love. They do not understand love. It is a superficial love. It is a carnal love. It is love that pertains to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. And that's what they understand. But God loves, You, God loves us. And the greatest love story that man... could ever experience and understand is found in John, in the book of St. John, chapter three, verse 16, and it's probably a verse that we all know. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. And that means you, that means each person here, that means the person that we meet on the streets, We go down the streets, we go to Atlanta, we go down through these airports and then in our busiest day schedules, whoever we meet, God loves each and every person. And God did not mean for people to die without Him. God's love is so great and so wonderful. And we do not understand this. And I think I will come into more of this on Thursday evening, I better. but the greatest love story ever told, John 3, 16. God is so wonderful. All right, now let's go to the story of the prodigal son, Luke chapter 15. I'm not going to turn to that. We all know the story of the prodigal son. Why did Jesus give the story of the prodigal son? When we think about the prodigal son, he asked of his father all that the father, you know, his inheritance, and he left. Where was the heart of the father? What does it mean when it says, when his son, after his son has spent all that time wasting his goods, and then he said, I will go to my father. What was the father doing? The Bible says when he was yet a long way off, he saw him. So this to me is indicative of the heart of the father. The Father sees us. When we stray, we might go a long way from God. And we might go just be anti-Christian, anti-God. It doesn't matter. And when we once know, and there are people I know like this, that used to be a part of the church and now are walking in the ways of the world and it seems like they don't care. But you know what? If they would decide to come back, they would be just like this prodigal son's father as he looked out there and he's seen his son a long way off. I believe that is indicative of the heart of God the Father. And I believe that that is one reason why Jesus gave this parable. Is it a parable or a true story? I'm not sure, but nevertheless, it does us a lot of good to think about it. I don't know where you are in your family life. I don't know where your children are, but I do know somewhat of a heart that yearns after a son that has not yet become a Christian. And the son seems to not really care. Praise God today that son is a Christian, a member of the church and has a wonderful testimony. I don't know where you are in a family like this, where your children are. But my friends, if you have children like this, pray for them. We would pray. And I know a family, and I've known this family for years, grew up with them. The oldest son never became a church member. And even today yet, mother and father still living, and this son, as far as I know, never committed his life to the Lord. But you know what? I believe that this mother and father are still praying. Many a time in prayer requests in church services, his name was brought up many a time, and there was many a prayer offered up for this wayward son. Brothers and sisters, the heart of God still reaches out. Or what about the sheep that was lost? Why did Jesus give this example of the sheep that was lost? And that's found in Luke chapter 15, verse three. Why did Jesus give that example? I believe it was to explain to us a little bit so we can comprehend somewhat the heart of the father. You know, he leaves the 99 that are in the fold, that are safe, that are sound, and they are safe. And he knows that there is one out there that does not know God or that is lost. There's one sheep out there that needs to be redeemed, that needs to be found. and he leaves the 99 and he goes out and he searches. And I believe that this again is an indication of the heart of the father, the heart of God, the father. I believe that is why God wrote to us many of these parables that Jesus gave to us. And I believe that was Jesus' mission upon this earth to explain to us and to help us to understand the heart of God, his father. And I believe that Jesus, as he sat there in Jerusalem, and he looked at Jerusalem in Luke chapter 13, verse 34, and he said, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets and stoneth them that are sent unto thee, how often I would have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her chicks. I believe again, indicative of what God the Father feels in his heart with wayward people. That Jesus died for our sins is something that is hard for us really to comprehend. that Jesus died because of my sins and yours. And it's like somebody said, if I was the only one that sinned, Jesus would still have died. Let's sing a song, the verse of that song, the love of God. The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. The loyalty pair can mount with care. gave his son to him. His erring child he reconciled and pardoned from O love of God, how rich and pure, How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure The saints' and angels' song. How do we explain the love of God, the heart of God? It's just beyond. Because that song also says, if all men were scribes and the sky would be a scroll and the ocean were an ink, it would drain the ocean dry. Brothers and sisters, I cannot fathom such love. Such a wonderful God with a heart so big that He accepted a sinner like me. There's no greater demonstration of His love and His heart for us than when Jesus died on the cross. Was the heart of God not exposed when Jesus said on the cross about the very ones that put the nails in His hands, put the nails in His feet, and even before His side was pierced, He meant even that. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. That is the love and the heart of the Father. I want us to understand this evening, God is love. In Matthew chapter 11, let's turn to that in closing. Jesus said this, Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For I am meek and lowly of heart. And ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. In the context of this scripture, Jesus was upbraiding the hardness of the heart of his people. If you go to verse 20, it says he was upbraiding the cities where most of his mighty works were done because they Repented not. And when you think about what upbraiding is, it means reprove or rebuke. And Jesus was basically rebuking them, but he was giving them this hope. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. And he says, I will give you rest. The heart of God. Jesus again is explaining the heart of God. And brothers and sisters, we are to read and to know the word of God. That is where we really understand what the heart of God is for us. And so my challenge to us is, let's not let the Bible lay on the shelf and collect dust. Let's use it every day, every day, because it is food for the soul. It helps us to understand the heart of God. And if you are not a Christian, you will not understand the heart of God. You will think God is a hard taskmaster. God is not a hard taskmaster. He says, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. But he also says, my heart is meek and lowly. I'm not sure how I understand that, but God Almighty, meek and lowly. Why? Because he sees our needs. He sees our needs. I'm not going to give an invitation tonight, but maybe tomorrow night. Let's stand to our feet. Somebody start a versus song. For saving my soul, thank you, Lord. For making me whole, thank you, Lord. For giving to me thy grace, salvation so rich and free. Our Holy God and Father, again, as we come before you at the close of this service, we thank you, Lord, that you are holy, you are just, you are true. And dear Heavenly Father, you reach out to us to the very needs of our heart. Lord, you know us. Yes, Lord, even are the thoughts and intents of the heart, you know. So help us, Lord, to continue to walk and to desire your presence, to live in it, and to go forth, Lord, bearing witness to the people around us. Help us not to be ashamed, but to walk, knowing it is a gift from you that we are able to do this. We ask your blessing upon this congregation, to each and every person, and the needs, Lord, whatever they might be in this congregation, continue to bless the hearts of each and every one. So we want to commit all things to you and the rest of the evenings, Lord, of this revival meeting, Lord, may it be a time of renewal and a time of commitment and recommitment to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. So we ask a special blessing upon each one, and we just commit all things to you. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen. May God bless you and deport in peace.