It is a joy to be here with you this morning. This is my third time, my wife's second time. I think the very first time that we were with you was for a missions conference and then I was here once after that and then my wife was able to Make it with us with me this morning. My wife's name is Mandy and she keeps an eye on me and Anyway, she travels with me the Lord's blessed us with 28 years of marriage and in all of that time He has allowed us to be able to minister and serve together. So it's just a Great privilege to be able to do that and there's been a couple of times and traveling with IPM that she's not been able to go with me for the reason of go figure we've had grandkids on the way and we were going to be away and so she decided to stay back rather than be with me. But I fully understand that with grandkids. And we have six and have one twin that's with the Lord, but we always did not survive. But we always include that twin in our number of grandchildren. And so thank you again for allowing us to be here today and just for the privilege of being all the greetings and just the fellowship and for the song. Just a blessing to my heart. I know that one day very soon we're going to be changed. In the twinkling of an eye. And I was sitting there thinking as she was singing this song, you know, how long did it take me to get dressed this morning? In the twinkling of an eye. You know, not that I got dressed that quickly, but that's going to all change. And faster than we can bat our eye. What a blessing we have to know that we're going to be with the Lord. And serve Him and worship Him for eternity. Isn't it great? We have an awesome God. Go with me this morning, if you would, to the book of Isaiah chapter 6. This is a well-known passage of Scripture. I'm not going to really speak on the type of message that you would think would come from Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 1, but it's going to work into it here. But if we could go there this morning, chapter 6 of Isaiah, we're going to read the first eight verses, if we might. And then we'll have a word of prayer and look into the Word of God this morning. Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims, each one had six wings. With Twain he covered his face, and with Twain he covered his feet. And with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone. Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. And also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I, send me." May we pray together this morning. We thank you for your word. We thank you that it is alive and quick, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword that cuts and pierces, dividing us under the soul and spirit and as a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of our heart. And so Lord, as we come and approach you this morning, may we have our hearts prepared even now to this point that as we look into your word, we might allow the Holy Spirit of God to speak to our hearts. Mold us and shape us, Father. There is always room for growth until you take us to be with you. And Father, we ask that you would do that this morning. Grow us in your grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So Father, we look to you for your wisdom and your guidance this day, this hour, as we look into your word, direct our thoughts. And Lord, might we, before we leave here, allow the Holy Spirit of God to work in a way in our heart that Father, as we leave, we might have taken care maybe of some things that might be in our hearts that we know that we need to just take care of between ourselves and you. So Lord, we ask for your blessing. We ask that you may be truly high and lifted up in our presence this morning, and that we may see you. We're just the messenger with the message. And so, Father, we pray your blessing upon this hour and this time. In Jesus' name, amen. Look there, if you would, with me as we take into the idea of the passage that we just read and how beautiful of a passage it is. But at the same time, not only is it a beautiful passage, it is a powerful passage if we could just get the same glimpse that Isaiah did when he saw the Lord high and lifted up. And the awesomeness of God, and the sovereignty of God, and how He was with Isaiah there, and how just the voice of Him that cried moved the posts of the doors, and the power of God that overspread. And it comes to the point there, then in verse 8, where Isaiah says, also, at the end of this, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send and who will go for us? And then said I, Here am I, send me. If I were to give a title for the message, it would simply be this. Here am I for such a time as this. It was mentioned this morning, just a little bit ago, I believe, about the very fact that we have a new president. Let me back up, if I might. This is not a political message, but this is just simply a message to us from God, I believe, and to our hearts of what we are here for and why we are here. Isaiah said, here am I, and the period is not there after the word I. Isaiah said, here am I, send me, I volunteer, use me for such a time as Isaiah's time. And so if we can back up even just previous from yesterday to the beginning of the year, here we are in 2017. You know, when I was a teenager growing up, I was a Star Trek fan, of the old Star Trek. I didn't really care for the newer ones. I liked the old ones that you watch today and you laugh at, you know? But because of the technology that we have today and how much better things are and so on in that respect. But as I was growing up, you would watch those programs like that, and how many of us thought we would have phones that we could talk to? You know? When I was growing up, 2017, 2015, the year 2000, that was just so futuristic. You know, it was never going to come. But yet, you look at it today, and here we are. Here we are. I had the privilege back in December of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the church that I was helping for four years down in West Virginia. And they had their 50th anniversary. And just what a blessing. To be able to do that and you look back over the years And you see all of the things that had transpired in the church much before my time I was only there four years the Lord allowed us to minister there, but Just to be able to help them, but who would have thought I mean how many of us would have thought here we are We're not just at the beginning of 2017 anymore. We're 22 days in So the question What have we done with those first 22 days? You know, you have New Year's resolutions that you talk about, and a lot of times those resolutions are given on New Year's Eve and they're broken on New Year's Day. You know? I'm not gonna ask for a raise of hands. But my thought about resolutions, a resolution is I'm resolving to do something. And if we think about back in the book of Joshua, Joshua said, choose you this day whom you're gonna serve. Whether it be the gods on this side of the flood or the gods on the other side of the flood, but Joshua said, you choose. There's a difference between a resolution and a choosing. We can make the resolution, but it takes action to make the choice and to go forward here. And I think what we see here in the passage of Scripture and in moving forward, Isaiah says, Lord, I'm here. Use me. I'm volunteering for your service. Use me. And the Lord, I believe, has given us another chance as a people in America. Can I say it this way? I believe God has given us a second chance, if you will, or a third and fourth, but has given us a reprieve as His people, I believe, have been on their knees so much more for this election than ever before. I know I have been. 2nd Chronicles 7 14 says what if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves What did it take? I believe it took the humbling of God's people to get on their knees before their face before his face and turn from their sins and Pray to God that God might do something in our nation once again It was prayed just a little bit ago for revival in our country Revival starts with you and me And then it can spread, and then it can grow. We've seen little revivals in our nation throughout this past year, in different places. North Carolina is one place where we saw some revival take place, but it can spread nationwide. Listen, the God that we serve, who is the Almighty God, is not limited in what He can do, is He? Do you believe that He can do what He says He can do? I do, amen, because we've seen it done, have we not? When you take a man who is who our president is, he is a man, and God's people get on their face before a thrice holy God and pray to God that God will do something. The only reason I believe he's where he is is because of God's people. God put him there. Now here we are. Here we are. God has given us another chance, I believe, with a tremendous responsibility. as his people. Isaiah said what? Here am I. Now we've got what we think is a good president and we can sit back on our knees again. That's what got us where we were the first time. God did not save us to sit. God saved us to serve. And God has given us a responsibility. So here's a kind of a question. What are we going to do with it? What are we going to do with it? Isaiah, I believe God brought him to such a time as that, and I believe that God has brought each one of us for such a time as this. God can use each and every one of his children in any way shape and form that he desires to if we will allow him to in our Christian lives. God, what can you do through me? And if God gives us something and shows us something that he desires to do through us, then by all means let him do it. What are we going to do? Are we willing to rise up And go and follow the Lord as Isaiah said, here am I Lord, send me, use me. So I have just three points, just three questions I just simply want to put forth this morning. That in one way or another must be asked and must be answered. These questions have been going on for many, many years, long time. And so as I think about this, I think about our churches in America today as we travel to many churches all across America. We see churches of all different kinds of flavor, if you will. That church that's on fire for the Lord and desires to see God move among his people and to work with missionaries overseas and in the States and just a fire to do what God wants to do. And then there's churches that just are laid back and just simply satisfied with the status quo. And that's not what we're looking at. There's all kinds there. And so the questions that come up, I believe that God desires to use the church. And even Faith Chapel, God desires to use us. And I believe we're needed more now than ever before. And the Lord's desiring to move the church forward from here. As long as He tarries, we have a job that needs to be done. And so the question is, are we going to do it? So here we are. Number one, are we qualified to go? Now I'm looking at it as a missionary from a missionary standpoint, but yet in all reality we have to all look at it in this respect as well. Am I qualified, or are we qualified only, of course, through the Lord Jesus Christ to go and to serve? Are we willing from the very outset, and if you can keep that title or whatever in the back of your mind as we look at the message and just simply say, here am I. Not here he is, or here she is, or here they are. Lord, use them. You know, they're better off at it than I am. They can do a better job than I can. Can we stop right there for just a minute? Because if we say that, then we've brushed off what God wants to do and how He wants to use us. You say, but I can't do it that well. No, but if God's called you to do the job or to do the ministry, then you're the best person for it. Because when He calls us, He will enable us to do what He calls us to do. So number one, are we willing? Are we qualified to go? You say, well what do you mean by that? Simply this. Look at Acts chapter 9 if you would with me. Just flip over to Acts chapter 9. Let's read a couple of verses there. And already you're familiar with the text. You know exactly what's going on in Acts chapter 9. We have the conversion of a man by the name of Saul of Tarsus. And Saul of Tarsus can answer this question later, after this chapter, to the positive. Yes, I am qualified to serve God. In other words, am I saved? Are we presently saved and sanctified, set apart into Christ as the Lord of our life? Are we qualified to serve? I mean, you can even look at it this way. Are we serving now? Are you serving now? You say, yes, I'm saved, yes, I'm set apart into the Lord, I'm living for the Lord, and then are we serving? In and through the church now, however we can, and in whatever way we can. I've heard it often said, and I believe it to be true, that if you want something done, ask somebody that's busy. Because the majority of the time, it'll get done. quicker. That's an interesting statement. In Acts chapter 9, look what it says, verse 6. We know what's happening. The Apostle Paul, Saul of Tarsus, at this time comes into contact with the Lord. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Notice he didn't ask the Lord about what he wanted anybody else to do. He said, Lord, what is it that you want me to do? And the Lord said unto him, here we go, arise and go. Are we willing to rise up and go forward in this year 2017 with all the blessings that God has given to us, with what we have seen transpired in the anticipation of looking forward, possibly, to seeing God once again sit on the throne in America? You say, can it be done? Certainly it can! Our God is an awesome God. He is not limited in power. He is Jehovah. He is the Great I Am. Think about it. He says, "...go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." First thing we have to do is come to Christ. lay our lives before Him, knowing that we're sinners, knowing that there's nothing in and of us that we can do to gain eternal life. The only thing that is due us is a devil's hell because of our wickedness. And so we see here, He says, arise and go. He came to Christ. And it will be told thee, shall be told thee what thou must do. Look one down. Look at verse 10. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. His name means the Lord is gracious. And to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias. And he said, look at it. Behold, I am here, Lord. What was it that Isaiah said? Here am I, Lord. And look what God tells him in verse 11. And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go, there it is again, into the street which is called straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prayeth. Now, I don't know about you, but about this time when God in the vision is talking to Ananias, there are some gears, I believe, that are turning in Ananias' mind with the respect that, wait a minute, I know this guy. And he tells us here, I know his reputation. Everybody knows his reputation as to how he has gone about persecuting the Christians, as to how he was even at the feet of Stephen when he was martyred. He was the one who held the very coats of Stephen when he was stoned to death. And God's not done yet. In verse 12 he says, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. You sure you got the right guy here? There are more than one Ananias, I'm sure. I don't know, that's not what we see, is it? Look on down, verse 13, Ananias tells the Lord there that we, I've heard many, heard by many of this man, how much evil he had done to thy saints. Jerusalem and here he hath authority that's the earthly authority of course from the chief priest to bind all to call his name look at verse 15 But the Lord said unto him God still says to Ananias it did not change his mission He says, go thy way. That's not saying, okay, so you don't want to go. All right, that's okay. You just go ahead and do what, go thy way. That's not what he's saying. What God is saying is, is you continue in the direction and on the mission that I have just laid out before you. Go thy way. Go the way that you are to be going. Look what he says. For he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Now look at verse 17. God comes to Ananias in a vision. God gives him instructions in a vision. Ananias, at the end of verse 10, gives an answer to God's calling, and he says, Behold, I am here, Lord. And now we find down there in verse 17, God tells him to go, in verse 15, and then in verse 17, what does it say? Ananias got up and went his way. Yes, his way. But there again, it's the same direction that God had laid out for him. It's the same path that God had laid out for him to go in his name to Paul. Now, do you think maybe that Ananias was a little bit nervous? I would have been. Sure, because he knew the reputation and the authority that this guy had to kill the Christians and to bind them, in verse 14, that call on the name of God. But look at verse 17. He rose, he went his way. He rose and went, entered into the house, and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way, as thou camest unto him, as thou camest, hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Now, immediately, when the apostle Paul, at this point, was saved and converted, and the scales fell as if they were scales from his eyes, what did Paul do? Paul said, oh, thank you, and then he just, the Bible says the next thing that Paul did was he arose and was baptized. And Paul never stopped from that moment on in serving God. He was qualified. Are we qualified? Back in our text in Isaiah chapter six, and I believe it's verse five if you just want to look back there real quick again. Then said I, Isaiah says, woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Listen, we can't do anything for God until we come to God. It's not based on anything that you or I have or could ever do to gain merit to heaven. But it's all based already on what Christ has already done for you and me. Aren't you glad? Wow. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was as blind as Saul of Tarsus, but now I see. Are we qualified to serve? Are we saved? Are we sanctified? Are we set ourselves apart unto Christ, allowing Him to be the Lord of our life and serving right now in the church and however and wherever the Lord desires for us to serve? Question number two, are we willing to serve? Not only are we qualified, but are we willing to serve? Now, a lot of Christians can do a lot of things for God. in the church, outside of the church, go on visitation, you can street preach, you can do whatever. A lot of things can be done in the name of Jesus that are not really done for Jesus. Understand what I'm saying? We can do them in the flesh, not really in the spirit. We can do them because we feel like we have the duty to do it, and not simply because we are willing to go, and willing to rise up, and willing to serve Him in whatever way that He desires for us to serve Him. My mother is 85 years old. My mother has some dementia. She lives with my sister. Down in Virginia, my mom supports us, what she can as a widow, financially, but my mom told me one day when I was visiting her many years ago, and it's been some years that she's had dementia and has had ill health, and my mother looked at me and she said, Brent, I can't do like I did, you know, anymore. And it was really a burden on her heart because she was a servant of the Lord in the church and a Sunday school teacher. And my parents kept foster kids when we were growing up. And I mean all kinds of things. She said, I can't do what I used to do. I said, Mom, I understand that. But I said, you can still pray, right? She said, oh, yeah, I can still pray. And she is a prayer warrior. I said, hey, listen, at this point in your life, this is what God's calling you to do. And if it wasn't for the prayers of our godly mothers, or for the prayers of our godly grandmothers, and on down the line, where would we be? You ever stop and think about that? Because, and maybe there's somebody here that says, you know, much of that same thing, Brother Smith, that I can't do a whole lot because of the physical ailments that I have, and the impairments that I may have. No, but you can pray. And God can take and use those prayers. You know, when I pastored years ago, In 1992, we planted and pastored a church for 15 years there before we came with IPM. And it was interesting that being on the one side of the desk as a pastor, and I would get the missionary calls and so forth, and have the missionaries in and different things like that. And one of the things that really, after we got into missions, that really touched my heart was the very fact that missionary after missionary would come into my church, and they would say from the pulpit to me, or to me and whoever was there in the congregation, but they would make the statement, your prayers are the most important thing in our lives and in our ministry. And I'm thinking, and I'm sure if I've had this thought, I'm probably not the only one of believers that has had this thought, but you need finances, you need clothes, you need an automobile, you need this, you need that. Now that I've been on the other side of the desk for 10 years, I can honestly say your prayers are the most important. that hold us up as we are out there working with national missionaries all around the world. You say, what do you mean? I understand it. It's God's people praying for God's people that provides the finances, that provides the automobile, that provides the clothing. It's God's people undergirding and holding up each other. Even as we go to serve, even as we rise up and go forward, even as we say, here my Lord, send me, here my Lord, use me for just a time as this. So, are we willing to go? In verse 7 of our text, Isaiah says, Lo, he hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged. When God saved us, He's qualified us. And Isaiah said, I've got to go. Woe is me if I don't go. New Testament Paul said, woe is me if I don't preach the gospel of Christ. So are we willing to do just that back in Acts chapter 9 and verses 11 through 19? I'm not going to go back and read that passage again. But in that passage, are we willing to rise up? Go with me, though, if you would, back to the gospel of Matthew. Because in the Gospel of Matthew, I see something about our Savior that I love. And truly, that is a rebuke to us as believers as well. In Matthew chapter 9, Matthew chapter 9 is not a chapter where nothing is going on, if I can put it that way. Now that I've confused everybody, and halfway myself, Matthew chapter 9 finds the Lord doing a lot of different things. It's an active chapter. We find here the Lord rising up and doing. Rising up and going forward. You remember when Mary and Joseph as he was a child and he remained back in Jerusalem there in the synagogue and Mary and Joseph thought they had lost their child and they went back to find him. What was the response that Christ gave to his earthly parents? I must be about my father's business. I've got to do what my Father has called me and told me to do. I've got to go where He wants me to go. Listen, He was born, yes, but He was facing death. And even through all of that time, he said, I've got to do what my father has told me to do. I must be about my father's business. And as he ended his earthly ministry in the Garden of Gethsemane, what did he say in the Garden of Gethsemane in his prayer there? Father, if there's any other way that I can pass up having to deal with this cup, the cup of sin, the cup of death, the cup of of this laid upon the shoulders of our Savior. If there's any other way that I can do this, I will do it. I would like to do it. But, what? Not my will, but here am I, Father, use me. Not my will, but thine, be done. Our Lord, in Matthew chapter 9, saw with compassion He was willing to rise up and go forward. In chapter 9 and verse 1, he enters the ship. Remember, here in the passage, he comes over and he enters into the ship. He came to his own city. Verse 2, people started gathering around him, of course, because of his fame and what they had seen done and so on and so forth. And they bring a palsied man to him. They bring Matthew comes to him, and of course, Matthew comes to Christ there. We see that down through the passage of Scripture, the dead daughter is raised, the woman with the issue of blood is healed, and the maid is brought back to life, two blind men are made to see, and so on and so forth. There's a lot going on in this chapter, but what we see happening here is our Savior willing to rise up and go forward and do what His Father has called Him and told Him to do. He saw with compassion. The Lord was doing His Father's business. The Lord was teaching. He was instructing even the disciples. He was teaching them. He was preaching. He was proclaiming the Word of God. He was healing the sick and on and on we could go. The Father's business included compassion. And I believe that as we go forward and as we realize and surrender ourselves to serve and we're willing to say, yes, Lord, here am I. Use me for such a time as this. It will go forward with compassion, and we must have that. You see, when truly following the Lord, Isaiah saw in chapter 6 of his book in verse 1 He said I saw the Lord high and lifted up and from that moment on when he begins to describe his Lord When he began to describe Jehovah It's an awesome description that we really have a hard time even comprehending in our finite minds today even now He saw him high and lifted up But when truly following the Lord, that seeing, I believe, will lead to compassion. And that compassion will lead one to moving, and that movement leads to service. We see it in the Lord, here in Matthew chapter 9. And look there towards the end of the chapter, if you would. Verse 35, it says, "...And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved, He was motivated to action with compassion on them, because they fainted, they were beaten down, and were scattered abroad as sheep, having no shepherd." Now look at verse 37 and verse 38. Then said he unto his disciples, and he's trying to instruct and teach his disciples, I believe, through every single event that was taking place in Matthew chapter 9. Then he looks to his disciples and he says to them, he says, listen, the harvest surely is plenteous, but the laborers are few. That means puny in number. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. The idea of send forth there is the idea of expelling out, of thrusting into the harvest field. Here am I, Lord, Isaiah said, use me. Here am I, Lord, Ananias said, I am here, Lord. And he thrust him into ministry in serving the Apostle Paul there at the very beginning. Are we that kind of Christian? Are we willing to go that route and to do as our Savior has called us to do? Are we working the fields? Verse 37 and verse 38. Pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Are we willing to be that laborer? You say, well, I can't go overseas. God may not be calling you overseas, but we can be God's laborer right here where we are. Listen, there's plenty of unsaved all around us. We've just got to get them the gospel. We're just the messenger. We get them the seed. We plant it, water it, and work it. The responsibility is not mine nor yours to save them, because none of us could do that. That's a burden lifted off of our shoulders, right? It's God who gives the increase. Praise Him. God is the one who does the saving. So work the fields. Are we working the fields? We can be. The field is our area. This is Cumberland County. Okay, I was right. I saw the sign coming through. I just hoped I could remember it. Anyway, Cumberland County, the Carlisle area, and expanding out. The state of Pennsylvania, our country. Listen, God has given us another chance to carry forth his gospel. How many of you saw the inaugural address? I'm not gonna ask you what you thought of the inaugural address, because there's all kinds of responses, and that's fine, that's not a problem. But what caught me was how many times prayer was made in Jesus' name from that podium. And our now president said that above all, It is God who protects us. Now, that's not a quote, but that's the idea. When was the last time we heard the term righteous used and justice in an inaugural address, even in our country? God has a work, yes, not just for our president and vice president. I thank God for the vice president. But God has a work for you and me in our country because he can bring it back. If his people, which are called by his name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek God's face Turn notice the activity there the action. It's not a passive verse and turn from their wicked ways God says then will I hear from heaven and Will forgive their sin and will hear their land could it be that God has been is at the beginning of hearing In our country Number three Are we qualified? Are we willing to serve? And number three, are we surrendered? Can we honestly say this morning, here am I. I'm right here, Lord. It's like the little kid. The picture I get in my mind is the little kid in the classroom. And I taught Christian school for, I don't know, seven or eight years before we went into church planning. And it's like when I taught third and fourth grade. It's like you ask a question. And you have various kinds of responses to the question, right? Anybody in here elementary school teachers? Okay, great. And you ask a question. You'll have children that sit there and won't raise their hand. They won't look at you. Then you'll have some that will raise their hand half-heartedly, you know, that type of thing. Yes, I'm here. I'm responding. Don't call on me. But I am responding. And then you'll have that little guy or gal in the back that goes, you know, call on, here, hey, I'm here, you know, call on me. That's the picture I get of Isaiah. Hey Lord! It's me! I'm here! I'm ready! Use me! Is that us? Now let me ask it this way. Should it be us? Yes. It should be exciting for us to serve God. And to surrender to go and serve and do. What did God tell him in Isaiah chapter 6? Look at verse 9. He said, go. Simple. Go and tell this people. That's for us as well. In Acts chapter 20, if you want to slip over there real quick, Acts chapter 20 and verse 24, you'll notice there the scripture says, But none of these things move me, Paul says, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. That's my calling. That's what God wants me to do. And I'm surrendered to do it. Nothing is going to move me from the path that God has put me in. And, by the way, does not the Scripture say of God before us, who can be against us? You and God make a majority in any community. We're on the winning side. We just go out and take the army. We just go out and take the battle. I mean, that's what we saw Him do time and time again. Is it not in the Old Testament with the children of Israel? So are we surrendered? Go and tell. That word surrender means to yield to the power, control, or the possession of another upon compulsion or demand. I am bound to surrender to him because he is the one who bought me with the precious blood of Christ off of the slave block of sin. And I, as Paul, have to say the same thing. I am debtor to him. And every believer is in the same boat. It means to give up completely, or to agree, to forego, especially in favor of another. It means to give oneself up into the power of another, especially as a prisoner, or to give ourselves over to something as an influence. Listen, to give ourselves over to the Lord Jesus Christ. So a synonym for that word surrender would be give up, or hand over, or to lay down. Lord, I lay down. And these are words that we use over and over. Laying down our life for the Lord. turning over our lives to the Lord, or yielding to the Lord, are we surrendered to serve? Are we presenting the instruments that God has given to us? Our body, our talents, our possessions, ourselves. Nehemiah said in chapter 2, if you go back there for just a moment, in Nehemiah chapter 2, and look with me at verse 18, God gave Nehemiah instructions and a ministry to rebuild the walls. And in verse 8 he says, the good hand of God was upon me, of my God was upon me. As a result, he comes on down in verse 17, And he says, Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, so that we be no more a reproach. Verse 18, he says, And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. Verse 20 then says, Then answered I them and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us. Therefore we his servants will arise and build. Now let me ask you a question. Was that for such a time as then? Certainly. And God has called us to put our hands to the good work of Christ for such a time as this. Proceeding with the mission. That's future. That's going forward. That which the Lord has called us and instructed us to do through his word. Are you qualified? Are you willing? Are you surrendered to serve the Lord? whatever his desire is for you to do. Here am I, Lord, for such a time as this. Let's pray together. Our Father, we come to you this morning knowing that your word is powerful. Your word is alive, it's quick, it's living, it's sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of our heart. You know, even now, what we are thinking. You know, even now, how dedicated we are, and what our choice is going to be, and what our answer is going to be before a thrice-holy God, is it going to be, as Isaiah said, here am I, Lord, use me, send me. For this time, May I be that servant that can be used of God to carry forth the gospel and proclaim the name of Christ? Or are we going to be someone who says not today? Someone who says as King Agrippa did to the Apostle Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Father, we know that almost does not get anyone to heaven. So Lord, I pray this morning that you would touch our hearts, speak to each one of us, Lord. May we be willing to say yes, be qualified, be willing, and be surrendered to go and do the will of our Father. I wonder this morning if there's one here with heads bowed and eyes closed that would just simply be willing to say, Brother Smith, By my uplifted hand, the Lord has spoken to my heart in some way. I don't need to know what it is, but the Lord has spoken to my heart that there are some needs, there are some things that I just need to get alone with Him about and to take care of between ourselves. Would there be somebody to help me to pray for you regarding that this morning? There's just a need in my heart that I need to take care of. Would you just slip your hand up and put it right back down quietly? as we just look around for just a moment. Yes, God bless you. Somebody else. Just pray for me. There's a need that needs to be taken care of. God bless you. Yes, and you. There are others. Pray for me. Maybe you're here this morning and you say, Brother Smith, I'm not sure that there's been a time in my life when I've accepted Christ as my Savior. I've not had the Word of God taken to me and shown to me through His Word how I could know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm on my way to Heaven. I can't say that I'm qualified, but would you pray for me that I might take that action this morning and step forward for Christ? Would there be somebody like that? If we had bowed, every eye closed, just give us the opportunity to pray for you. Anyone like that, I'm not 100% sure, but I would like to be prayed for. Our Father, we come to you with grateful hearts, thanking you for all that you've done for us. I thank you, Father, for loving us, we being the unlovely, yet you chose to love and to die for us, that we might have the remission of sin. Father, I do pray that if there's one here that does not know Christ as Savior, that, Lord, you would speak to hearts. They would come to that saving grace before it's too late. Oh, here at the beginning of the year, what a blessing it would be just to simply to lay all on the altar, accept Christ as Savior, and go forward for Him. Lord, then there are those who have uplifted hand asking for prayer regarding a need and a decision in their life that they need to take action upon. I pray that, Father, the Spirit of God may comfort them and give them grace. And as they come to Him, come to you, that, Father, those things may be laid on the altar, left on the altar, and as they then get up, may go forward for you, fully surrendered. And, Father, that you would use them, and grant him strength and courage. All of us, Father, in this day, we pray that as we may say, here am I, Lord, for such a time as this. Use us. Give us the strength that we need. We thank you, Lord, for the grace that you've given to us this day. We thank you for the word. And Father, we pray your blessing upon the rest of this invitation time. In Jesus' name, amen.