Go through that door right there and tuck your shirt in for a minute. You're not getting up here looking like that. You know, most of us have a song or songs that mean something to us. But I had that when I was lost. I mean, I hear some 80s ballads in sheets, and I grab my wife, start loving her. But you know what's different is when you're saved, it's almost like every song is your new favorite song. Amen. It starts all over again. Peter, just take a few minutes. Just tell folks what that song, Until Then, means to Peter Cornelius. I was actually thinking about it as we were singing it. When I first started going to church, I didn't go because I believed in God. I didn't even believe there was a God. I didn't know what to believe. I didn't believe in evolution, but I didn't know if there was a God. So I just went to church to go to church. And we were sitting there singing that song one youth week, and the thought was just hitting me, what are you looking forward to? What did I have to look forward to? I didn't believe in heaven. I didn't believe in hell. What was I looking forward to? God just used that song to show me that He actually exists. That was the first time I ever actually started thinking, there may actually be a God. So that's what that song means to me. Look one. People make a lot of different comments about a lot of different things. I don't normally respond. but every once in a while I do. And you know, someone had asked me, I think last year they said, they were serious. They said, do you ever preach in the new Testament? And I said, every time I preach, they didn't get it. We're going to do this. We're going to say in the new Testament today, so that'll help some of you stay nice and compact, you know, but Luke one in verse, 30. And the angel said unto her, fear not Mary, for thou hast done favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name, and shalt call his name, Jesus. That name above every name, that highest of all names, Jesus. But Joe Parsons, many years ago, he said, when you hear the name of Jesus, it'll just make your heart skip a beat. What a precious name, what a wonderful name. He shall be great, shall be called the son of the highest. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be seen? I know not a man. And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that Holy thing, which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. Luke chapter three in verse 38, He said, which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. Adam, that son of God, from which all of us descend. When the Holy Ghost overshadowed Mary, he overshadowed her. with a seed which was the Son of God. His name is Jesus Christ. The wrestling that people have within their soul, unbeknownst to them, whether in this meeting or outside of this meeting, the wrestling that every man has in his soul until he's settled with God is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And people try to analyze all the reasons and all the things and all the scripture, but it's Jesus Christ, the son of God. We look at scripture and we see a contention. Let's go back to Matthew and look at a couple of places here, but we see the argument, if you will, the debate to begin. And there's the questioning. And can I say it on this wise, there's the doubt. There's also that temptation. And you see in verse three of Matthew chapter four, let's start in verse one, in which Jesus led up the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. When he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward in hunger. And when the tempter came to him, he said, and notice this little word, if. So many people stuck in if. If, by the way, we'll see it again. But if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. In verse four, he says, but he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple and saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, Cast thyself down, for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee. And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against the stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. So Satan questions if. He's been questioned ever since if. If he's Jesus Christ, people say, why is there so much hurt in the world? If there is a God, why are people hurt? And the devil is so seduce them when they're hurt because of sin. They're hurt because of that question. If he was a, why is there so much sickness? Why do babies die? Because men do not believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. And he creates that question in people's mind. Is there a God? How can there be a God? And then he uses human intellect. And of course he uses pragmatism to try to deal with men and question whether or not Jesus Christ indeed is real. He is a byword. He is a Hollywood movie to some. He is a swear word to many, but they do not believe in their heart that Jesus Christ is the son of God. And so he tempts with that very question. If, He tempts with that very thought. John chapter 10. If you go back to the book of John and look at chapter 10, and just read a very short passage here. In verse 32 of John 10, Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my father. For which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him saying, for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, And because of thou being a man, notice this, make us thyself God. You see in verse 30, he said, I and my father are one. And they said, you blaspheme because you make yourself God. And again, one of the age old arguments that men still argue with Jesus Christ over you've made yourself God yet. He did not make himself God. In the beginning was the word. The word was with God and the word was God. He wasn't that he became God when he was manifest in the flesh. He became flesh when it was manifest on earth, that God was in the flesh. He's always been God. And yet that's the question, the doubt, the skeptic, if, the questioning. And the Jews answered him saying, for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, because of thine being a man, makeest thyself God. Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law, I said ye are gods? If he called them gods under whom the word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken, say ye of him whom the father has sanctified and said into the world, thou blasphemous. Because I said, I am the son of God. He's declared to be the son of God. The angel declared him. The scripture declared him. The father declared him. Jesus Christ himself declared to be the son of God. Let's go back to Matthew again. Let's go later in the chapter of Matthew chapter 26. And verse 63. But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the son of God. Now you and I could demand that of him, but not by faith. I could say, show me whether or not you're the son of God, but not by faith. It is the doubt, it is the skeptic. Just not convinced that he's the only way. Just not convinced that he's the son of God. Just not convinced that he is God. The devil has used this ploy to convince men to doubt, to be skeptics. Matthew 27, he continues in verse 40. In verse 39, we'll start. And the pass by reviled him, wagging their heads and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, if thou be the Son of God. Come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priest, mocking him with the scribes and elders, said he saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said i am the son of god the evidence of scripture that he was the son of god is that he died for our sins according to the scripture they were looking for the evidence that the father would come deliver him from their hands And what they were not looking for was scriptural evidence. What they were looking for is a manifestation of a miracle to prove whether or not he's the son of God. But do you realize the only way you'll know he's the son of God is when it's manifest to you by the scriptures, how Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures. So again, the skeptic, they're looking the wrong place. If, no confidence. If you're God, why won't you save me? If you're God, why won't you deliver me? Let's go back to Luke. Just one of the place concerning this and Luke 22 and 70. I'm going to change gears just slightly. Luke 22 and verse 70, the word of God tells us this. They then said, they all art thou the son of God. And he said unto them, ye say that I am. So they're not seeking truth. They're asking, did you say that you're the son of God? He said, you say it. And they said, what need we, no, what need we any further witness for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. And no multitude of them arose and led him unto Pilate. Why did they crucify him? Because he declared himself to be the son of God, because he declared himself to be God, He declared himself, according to the spirit of holiness, that he indeed was the son of God, but they would not believe him. They would not. Now let's go back to Matthew again. We'll stay here in Luke. We'll look at Luke first. Luke four, there's two instances of Luke. Luke four and verse 40. And he said to them, why are you so fearful? How is it you have no faith? And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? Now, if I'll turn to Luke and read, you all can read along with me. Now the sun was setting and all they had is any sick with divers diseases. Those of you that heard the podcast before 9am this morning, you understand. The son was said, oh, they had to be sick with divers diseases, brought them unto him. And he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And devils also came out of many crying out and saying, thou art Christ, the son of God. And he rebuking them, suffered them not to speak for they knew that he was Christ. And by the way, you can do well. But don't ever forget this. The devils also believe in trouble. They knew he was the son of God. We see it again in chapter eight of the book of Luke. One more time in the book of Luke, we see that similar situation arises in verse 27, And he went forth to land. There met him out of a certain city, a certain man, which had devil's long time and wear no clothes, neither a boat in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him with a loud voice said, what have I to do with thee? Jesus, thou son of God, most high. I beseech thee torment me not for he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters and he break the bands and was driven up the devil into the wilderness. And so when the voice says, Jesus, thou son of God, most high, I beseech thee torment me not. Who is it speaking of? Jesus asked him saying, what is thy name? What is the answer? Legion. Who's he conversing with? Unclean spirit, devils. He believed that Jesus Christ was the son of God. We'll go back to the book of Mark on our way back through Mark three, again, earlier mentioned, but just another instance in the gospels. I believe it's the same story here. In verse 10, for he had healed many. We're in Mark 3, 10. And so much they pressed upon him for to touch him as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried, saying, thou art the son of God. And he straightly charged them that they should not make him known. Notice this. They fell down before him. What'd they say? Thou art the son of God. What did the religious crowd say? If thou be the son of God. The devils believe and tremble. Again, Matthew chapter eight. In verse 28, And when he was come to the other side of the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fear, so that no man might pass by that way. And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. The devils were subject unto him. And by the way, the devils are also subject unto you. But he said, Rejoice not, because the devils are subject unto you. but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. He rebukes the devils. He rebukes the unclean spirit. Yet they believe and they tremble. So now we see faith mingled with belief, mingled with doubt. Have we talked about anybody that saved besides Mary? We talked about anybody that we would use the terminology today that has the new birth outside of Mary. We talked about anybody today that would know him outside of Mary by faith. No, we see doubters. We see skeptics. We see if, and we see devils. I've had many people say to me, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. and they live wickedly, and they live devilish lives, and they live hellish lives. And I believe they do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but they do not believe it by faith. They do not believe it by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Let's go look at faith for just a moment, Matthew 27 in verse 54. This is just the warmup. Peter was the opening act. This is the warmup for the message. Now when the centurion, and they were there with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, truly, this was the Son of God. Faith. They've seen the crucifixion. They've stood by and watched Jesus Christ suffer. They've heard the words of Christ. They've seen the earthquake and they watched him die according to the scriptures. And that's when they said, truly, this was the son of God. Secondarily, we see that in John chapter one place. I'd like to turn John one and verse 49, Nathaniel, That's why we named her son Nathanael in this fashion. He answered and said unto him, rabbi, thou art the son of God. Thou art the king of Israel. Why did he say that? Because he said before the Philip called me under the fig tree, isn't that interesting? Well, now what's under the fig tree, Jesus Christ saw him. He knew him. An Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. He told him what he was. Revealed to him who he was. What did he simply say? Thou art the Son of God. You see, there were men in those days looking for Jesus Christ. We see it with Simeon. We see it with Nathanael. There are men looking for him, longing for him. There are men desires to know him. John chapter 3, verse 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already. Why? Because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So why don't we believe? All the evidence has pointed to him. All the scripture has pointed to him. The tradition of our religious practice has all pointed there. Why is it there are some still without faith? They do not believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God in their heart. It's intellectual assent. Mentally they can comprehend it But their wicked heart will not let them absorb the idea In fact, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I Want to look at some evidences just briefly. I'm not gonna be real long Neither will I be real short Look at a couple of evidences the Lord's Give me just jotted these down If I can find my list we're going through a lot of that these last couple of days. I Let's start in Romans chapter 10, verse 11. How do I know that I believe on the name of the son of God? How do I know? Romans 10, 11, for the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. When have you publicly spoken that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and not been ashamed? If you can't stand amongst a congregation of your peers, let alone out in the face of a wicked world and pronounce that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, it's because you probably don't believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You know, it's interesting. I guess we're Pennsylvania kind of torn here. Probably a few Steelers fans, a few Bills fans, you know, people, some state college, some Buffalo university, some, you know, Pitt, you know, just kind of that, that tween area. And you realize that every person that has a dogmatic belief in their team always speaks about how great their team is. They're never ashamed of their team, are they? Even Bill's fans aren't ashamed. You know why? Because they believe that their team is the best. We live down in kind of a tweener area where Eagles, Steelers, and I see a lot of Ravens and Redskins fans. I grew up in Redskins nation. I mean, just 20 minutes from where we live now, and I mean, everybody loves the Redskins. And you couldn't tell them that they stunk. You couldn't tell them how terrible they were. You know why? They had a common belief. The Redskins are the greatest team in the history of football. And they fly the flags. Is anybody going to do okay on this or is somebody going to really choke on this? They fly the flags, they got the bumper stickers, they got the sweatshirts, they got the shoelaces, they paint their RV. You know why? Because they are Redskins fans and they believe in the Redskins. They believe in Bill's nation. And they tell you they're saved. Nobody has a clue that they're a fan of Jesus Christ. Because they're ashamed of him. And he that believeth in him shall not be ashamed. I know a preacher's wife tonight. They're in full-time pastoral ministry. God saved her on these verses. She wrestled for years. It's the lady that sister Vicki speaks about that testified on Facebook of God saving her and put her under conviction. The first time in her life, she said, why God, why would you save me? The first time in her life, she realized she's ashamed of Jesus Christ. She said, I never talked about Jesus. I'd never speak of him. I never told people about him. Well, probably not going to get past too many of these with that approach. Acts 10, verse 43. I had to put this early because if I preach this at the end, it'd probably be hard to contain ourselves. To him gave all the prophets witness that through his name, Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. First of all, you will not be ashamed. Second of all, you will be forgiven. The guilt is gone. The conscience is clean. No longer under the bondage of sin, the load of sin, the condemnation of God. I've received the remission of sins. You can sing 14 different hymns tonight. Gone, gone, gone, gone. Yes, my sins are gone. Hallelujah, my sins are gone. As far as the east is from the west, my sins are gone, gone, gone. Doesn't matter which song you sing. I'm going to say amen. Amen. Now you start telling me under the blood, we have a problem. You start singing those other songs, we'll shout amen, OK? Amen. Amen. My sins are gone. Why? because I believed in the name of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Thirdly, Ephesians 1 verse 13. Some might say, is this a checklist? Yes, it is. Be good for you to print this out, hang this on your refrigerator. You start struggling, start living with doubt, you ought to just go down the checklist. Listen, I went down the checklist today. Amen. You know what I found? A whole bunch of check marks. Amen and amen. It wasn't one box empty. I didn't have one block. I couldn't put a check mark. Hey, I could have gone back and put an X the other way and put double check marks. Wouldn't have bothered me one bit. I believe in the name of the only begotten son of God, been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. Not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He said in Ephesians 1 and 13, in whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. I said this, you won't be unsealed ever again. You have the seal of God. the spirit of promise. And he sealed us under that day of Jesus Christ. Why? Because we believed in his name. Philippians 1 29. For unto you is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Those that believe on him will suffer for his sake. He said, yeah, and all that will live godly in Christ. Jesus shall what suffer persecution. If there's no persecution, there's no godliness. A lot of folks watered it down. A lot of folks tiptoe around it, but if there's no suffering, there's no persecution. It could be because there's no witness. to suffer for His sake, to suffer on behalf of Him. And by the way, suffering does not mean you tell people on Facebook how miserable your life is. That's not what he's talking about. Just to clarify that. Titus 3 and verse 8. This is a faithful saying. These things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. He tells you, I affirm this constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. Faith without works is dead. You want to show me your faith. Let's see those works. And your brother and I were talking the other night. It's amazing how much the longer you go in the ministry, unless we're in our 18th year on the road, And I'm more of a novice today than it was 17 and a half years ago. And that's a fact. I feel like I know more or less today than I've ever known. This is one thing I have absolute confidence in. God is going to sort out these works, what manner they are. And I've learned over this life is a lot of works that people do that have no value with God. They've actually nothing to do with Jesus Christ. And I appreciate the labors. I appreciate the physical labors of the church, but do not associate that with good works that he speaks of in scripture. There is a ministration of the saints and there's a whole lot of folks can do the physical, but they can't do the spiritual. So a lot of folks can do the physical things. They can cook, they can clean, they can mow, they can fix, but they cannot carry into the spiritual load of the church. And you better make sure your good works line up with the Word of God. All this is going to get burned up at that Day of Judgment. All these things that we've labored so hard for that have no value with God. And I thank God for the people that keep the tolerance clear. Thank God for the people that cook the food. Thank God. But that's not the only works that God requires. God requires the spiritual sacrifices. God requires you to do works on his behalf. God requires you to do those works in secret. The prayer, the fasting, the giving. And be careful to maintain those good works if you indeed believe in Jesus Christ. Because if you laud all the physical, you're going to find out there's not going to be a reward because you ignored the spiritual. I'd rather you stay home and pray than ever cook me another meal. And I'm not being ungrateful and I'm not being unkind. I'd rather be in a moldy bathroom than somebody skip time with God to do works to be seen of men. And if you believe in Jesus Christ, you need to maintain those good works. those things that God wants, those things that God requires. And I've learned even in evangelism, a lot of things that evangelists can do. You look back at it, you realize it's just all flesh. It was all me. There's nothing of God. I've been on the street corners and put my Bible in my pocket and walked away reproved of God for making a show of the flesh. And my friend, you need to maintain good works. You need to do what God wants you to do. And I'm going to say this, not to, not to shame or not to bring any kind of an illicit statement, but I know men are men sitting in this room tonight that have pastored and have had no spiritual backing where they pastored. There was nobody spiritually to get behind them. There was nobody that just rallied for the cause and say, you know what, pastor, we're behind you. We're not going to do anything else, but we're going to pray and we're going to be behind you. We're going to be supporting the meetings, supporting the preaching, whatever you need. We want the spirits alone to be taken care of. And where are those people today? He asked for sobriety the other night, back in the prayer room. And I hear the crackling of thorns in the prayer room. I know you don't read your Bible, so we'll just leave it at that. Go look it up. It's a laughter of fools. We called for sobriety, did we not? We begged for sobriety. It's just another service. The laughter, the boisterous, the foolishness. When will it ever cease? When people get real serious about these services, and they get real serious about their good works being put into these services, and make it a matter of prayer, make it a matter of fasting, make it a matter of giving, then I believe we'll get real serious about it. And that is a rebuke. I've been in too many services over the years. There's not a person there that cares about the service. So how do you know that? There's absolutely no power with God. There's no strength. There's no one praying. There's no one worshiping. It's just going through the motions of religion. You say you believe God, you better not get caught going through the motions. Didn't mean to linger there. Hebrews 10. Again, speaking of those that believe. Verse 39, he says, but we are not of them who draw back into perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Those that believe. Don't draw back into perdition. He tells you that. You say, well, that's Armenian doctrine. He tells you that. Say folk can't get away from God. You can't run from God. Go ask old Jonah how well that worked. And by the way, when he ran from God, then God made him a prophet. Maybe I should try to run. I tried to run, not far. Tried to get out of what God's required me to do. Tried to weasel out of it, my excuses, my lameness. God's not gonna let me get away with that. People always just think, you know, well, it's not until you really leave church, you get away from God. You know, most people are away from God in church. They're away from God, sitting on the pew, no relationship, no fellowship, no worship, no heart for him, no fullness of joy. You know, just every once in a while, if you say you're saved every once in a while, your lips ought to just know it. You know, you don't have to be like me. You don't have to lift up your hands, but you can at least, you know, pinky wave. You can at least smile. Amen. I sing holy, holy, holy. It ought to stir a heart. It ought to melt us. It ought to put us in a place of worship. First Peter chapter two. Killed two birds with one verse. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay inside a chief cornerstone. First Peter 2, 6, elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. How do you know you believe? You're no longer confounded. It all just somehow makes sense. Amen. You say, well, you've intellectually got there. I'll show you my school records. Okay. It's a miracle. I got through high school. I had to go in the military. I would have been unemployed, but it all makes sense. It's perfectly clear. I told him last year at family camp, I said, you know, I said, I know the nuts and bolts of salvation inside and out. I have studied the nuts and bolts. I understand the process. I understand the work. I understand the drawing. I understand the effect the word of God has. I said, I know exactly the process God uses, how God requires repentance for the sinner. I know how God calls him to believe the Lord Jesus Christ. I said, I got everything about salvation figured out except for one thing, how Christ Jesus saves sinners. I still can't figure that out because that's beyond my intellect. It doesn't confound me though. Cause I've watched too many sinners get saved. It no longer confounds me. I just believe it. I thank God for it. And to them that believe he is precious. That's what the word of God says. If there's anything more precious to you than Jesus Christ, you need to examine yourself. He is precious. What does precious mean? As I've been there for the birth, all three of my children, I've wept all three times. Not the horror. That was pretty bad. Not the shock. When they laid that little baby in my arms for the first time, and I realized how precious that little baby is. And that's my little baby. And the nurse says, well, you want to give him back to your wife? No. My children are still precious. My wife's still precious. We don't get along, but she's precious. Thank you for being a good example, young couple. How precious. That is precious. Pastor Black comes up every four or five days to make sure it's precious. Amen. I probably would too if I had a daughter like that. Married a guy like that. Is he precious to you? Or is it just church? Do you believe on Him? If you do, He's precious. I'll actually say what it says. He said, unto you therefore which believe, it's personal, He is precious. You know, there's nothing more precious than He is. I wouldn't have children if it wasn't for his preciousness. I wouldn't have a wife if he wasn't precious. I wouldn't have a life if he wasn't precious. I certainly wouldn't be in church on Thursday night on wing night, but he's precious. Thursday night was party night, but now he's precious. I certainly wouldn't have been in church on a Sunday morning, because I couldn't have gone out of bed on a Sunday morning, but the preciousness of Jesus Christ. He called me with that holy calling. Gloriously saved me. Do you believe Him? 1 John chapter 5, and we will linger in verse 1. probably stop after this, but we won't. Who's where I believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Do you believe him? Then when were you born again? You know, I believe the first birth there's evidence this proof. Now listen, I didn't take my mom's word for it, although she was there. We're so much alike. It's awful. So I know I'm her son, but I don't take her word for it. I've existed now for 52 years. I look in the mirror and I see me. I don't have any reason to question. I was born once. But I don't have any reason to question I was born twice. There's evidence. There's proof. Therefore, for any man being Christ, he's a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things are new. Not the same man I used to be. I don't go the same place I used to go. Going to do the same things I used to do. Well, we never done this before here. Did I ever tell you how I know I got married? Amen. I'll tell you, I did it one time. That guy got so mad at me. I do it all the time now. I pay breath before I get mad about it too. You know how I know I got married? Everything changed. I woke up this morning, somebody was laying next to me. Amen. You've been married long enough, you might wake up in the morning, there's a couple people laying next to you. Amen. That was Tuesday morning. Amen. She goes, honey, don't roll over and crush Nathaniel. And I fell around. I said, that's too big to be Nathaniel. She said, oh, Lillian is here, too. I'm Matthias, but I'm not Nathaniel. It's Matthias. My decor changed. My dress changed. My talk changed. My walk changed. Where I go changes. My likes changed. My appetites changed. You know why I got married? You know what I got to say? There's evidence. Everything changed. That's right. That's right. Amen. Where I go changed. Yep. What I watched changed. That's right. Yeah. My friends changed. That's good. My interests changed. Yeah. The things I found precious changed. Amen and amen. I found myself not under the bondage of sin, under the curse of the law. I found myself not dead in trespasses. I was alive in Jesus Christ. Amen. The whole world has changed. Hallelujah. There's evidence to the new birth. Amen. That's right. Who sir, believe it on him. What, who the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, he said, you're born of God. What a promise. And everyone that loveth him, that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. I just thought a few little things down here. Verse five, Who is he that overcometh the world? How do you get victory over the world? Believe that Jesus is the Son of God. You say, what's victory over the world? Now listen, you go find 10 people, 10 neighbors, friends, co-workers. You follow them around for about a week, see where they go, see what they do. You just kind of watch their life. You have to close your eyes a lot. You have to plug your ears a lot. Are you going to follow someone who's been born of God? Are you going to follow them around? Except for, you know, changing the clothes, taking a bath, you wouldn't even have to close your eyes. You wouldn't have to cover your ears. You know why? To overcome the world. It affects the lusts thereof. Amen. Love not the world, but the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. How do you overcome the world? You get born of God. You know, it's crazy to look back. It's crazy to think about. I was a concert goer. It's hard to even fathom. I can't even fathom that. I went to concerts. That just blows my mind. It's been so long. I look back at the wasted money, the wasted. But you know, that's what everybody did. It was the cool thing to do. And everybody knew I was the coolest guy in town. Barely made it through high school. Couldn't hardly talk right. I was the coolest guy in town, so I had to be cool like everybody else. I look back at this thing and go, oh my goodness, what a difference Jesus Christ has made. I don't go where I used to go. I go by some of the old watering holes. There's one down on Route 40 called the Sunset Grip. Drove by there about 10 years ago, probably right before I got married, maybe 12 years ago I drove by there. And I was always bored as hell, had it for a sales site. If you want to give it, just pull it apart and say, glory to God. Amen. Amen. Shut them all down. Thank God for that. Yes, amen. Amen. If you overcome the world, by the way, that's ongoing tense, too. Right. Overcomeeth. You have overcome. You're still overcoming. And can I say this? In Jesus Christ, you'll overcome forever. Amen. Amen. You're suffering with me also, rain. You rule with me. Rain with me. Which one is it? Somebody help me out. Rain with me. Thank you very much. You're the new guy to help us. Amen. How about you? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Or are you just like them devils? Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. They fell at his feet. Why did they fall at his feet? It's a position of worship. Don't cash us into the pit. Put some of those hogs over there. Send us over to that swine. That's what a lot of folks are that believe. They believe just enough in the hopes that God will keep them out of hell. It's just like the devils. Verse 10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself. Now listen, I'm not the one that bears witness that I'm saved. He is. You believe in the son of God, you'll have the witness in your self. His spirit bears witness with our spirit that what? the sons of God, children of God, heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. I studied that Abba, Father one time. I thought, man, I'm going to be spiritual. And I said, man, I wonder what that means. I really dug in. I mean, I was on Google. I mean, I was on Dogpile. I was in deep in commentaries. I said, man, I'm going to find out what Abba, you know what I found out it means? That's my father. But it's pretty deep, isn't it? But you know something I've learned? There's nothing more precious to me as a father, than that's my father. That spirit of adoption, whereby we cry out a father. And them little boys, daddy! It just thrills me. So you want to be my bear witness that I'm the father. I just remind them, they're my children. That witness, he says, in yourself. That witness of God wells up for you. You don't have to convince yourself. If you're sitting there trying to convince yourself you're saved, you can rest assured this, you're probably not. God himself will bear witness that you're a child of God. And if you have to convince yourself, you're in trouble. But God himself bears witness. Verse 12. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you, that you believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life." How did we do that? He said, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. Verse 20, we know that the Son of God has come. He has given us an understanding that we may know that it's true. And we are in Him that is true, even in the Son of Christ, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. John 4.15, 1st John 4.15, whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the son of God, a God dwelleth in him and he in God. In the closing of Acts, Acts chapter eight, verse 36, As they went on their way, they came into a certain water and the eunuch said, see here is water. What does hinder me to be baptized? Why would he say that? Well, look at verse 35. He preached unto him that precious name, that most Holy name, that beautiful name. He preached unto him, Jesus, what does hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if thou believe us with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, what? I believe. I believe. Not if. Not I think. Not I believe so. Probably. I believe that Jesus is. He that cometh to God must believe that what? He is. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So how about you? The inward parts of your heart, the inward recesses of you, is there a voice that bears witness with the Word of God? Is there a person that bears witness within you that you've been born of God, made Him precious, no longer confounded, no longer ashamed, forgiven, maintaining good works, overcoming the world, and that you've been born of God. That is the evidence. And you can use that as a checklist. You know why? Because I've used it many times. And I've never walked away in 27 years and had to leave a box blank because I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the son of God.