I don't know, Brian, you need to turn me up a hair, I can't hear me. It says, Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, under the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, your labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ and in the sight of God and our Father. Knowing, brethren, beloved, of your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. As you know, what manner of men we were among you for your sakes. and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word with much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost, so that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Archaea. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Archaea, but also in every place your faith to God's word is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he has raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. You just read a whole chapter in the Bible, amen? For some of you, that's the first time you might have done it. But I'm glad you did, read the whole chapter. I wanna talk to you, the title, I think it's up there, Three Principles to Live By, amen? Three principles for all of us to live by. But before I do, I wanna mention that what we just read, talk about three people. We got Paul, Silvanus, which is Silas, and Timothy. Remember Silas? He was the one where Paul and Silas were in prison. Remember that? Remember they got beat up, Tony, they got thrown in jail, and in the midnight, at 12 o'clock midnight, they started praising the Lord. They started singing songs and praising God, and God sent an earthquake and all the chains fell off and all the doors opened up, amen, and then the jailer, He looked out, he saw his prison open, and he knew it was a death sentence, and he cried out, he grabbed the sword, he's ready to kill himself, and Paul says, don't hurt yourself, we're all here. We nobody escaped, we're still here. Think about that. I mean, God gives a deliverance, opens the gates, lets the chains go, and the people do not leave the prison house. That's a miracle in and of itself, amen? We would have been lickety split down the road. We'd have been at the Wawa sipping some coffee or something. But here he comes out and he goes, what? He was trembling. And he says to Paul, sir, what must I do to be saved? Paul says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, then your house. And he gets saved, and it's a wonderful thing, and it's because of what Paul was able to do. Not what Paul did, but what he was able to do. Because not just the praising God, you know we're commanded by God to praise Him in our bad times. We're commanded by God to praise Him when we're sad, praise Him when we're mad. We're commanded by God in His words to praise Him at all times. Can someone say amen? But to not even leave the prison, that took something else. So I'm gonna talk about these three people, which were three preachers, which were three personalities, and they had three promises, and they had three principles to live by, and there was three types of preaching, amen? So we're a lot of threes in here, but I want to talk to you about the very first one found in verse three. It says, remembering without ceasing your work of faith. The first principle that I want you to see is what these men had, what this church had, which God put down in scripture for us to have, which is work of faith. It's important, our work of faith. The second is our labor of love. And our third is patience of hope. One, our work of faith is turning to God from on our idols, our old life. That's what they were. Back then they served, they were very religious back then. They served all different kinds of gods. You understand that? They had gods of the rain, god of the sun, god of the ground. They had all kinds of gods. It wasn't like today where people are just godless. They were many gods, and they did many things. And here Paul came along, they got saved, and now they turn from all of the stuff that their mothers and fathers and preachers and everything else taught them, and they turn from it all, and they turn to serve the living God. That took work, amen? Takes work for someone to get saved and turn their back on their old life. Can I get an amen? It takes work. It's not something that you just have, oh, well, guess what? Now I'm never gonna do the things I used to do. That doesn't work that way, does it? It takes real work. And the very first principle to live by is you gotta work. But it's a work of faith. I want you to think about turning our backs on our old lives takes work. Turning our backs on our old personalities Takes work. Turning our backs on our old relationships take work, takes work. That's why people don't change because they never even do the first principle. They still, they don't turn their back on their old life. They still listen to their old music. They still go to their old concerts. They still hang with their old people. Nothing's changed in their life except they want to say, I had Jesus. You hear what I'm saying? And it's not true. You cannot have Jesus in the world. You pick, you choose. You want the world, take the world. You want Jesus, take Jesus. There's no playing around with God. It's his son, do you understand that? So when judgment time comes and you die, you've chosen the world, you're going to hell with the world. It's your choice. God doesn't make you do it, but I'm just here to tell you that it's a work of faith. You know what that means? It means doing what's right or what's required of you, amen? Because when you get saved, it says turning from idols. That means your old things that you like to do. Sometimes you're idols yourself, amen? And you gotta turn from yourself and turn to serve the living God. That takes some work. Coming to church takes some work. Reading your Bible takes some work. Praying takes some work. Can I get an amen? I don't know about you, but prayer takes, real prayer takes real work. It's easier for me to read my Bible than it is to actually talk to God. May not be for you, but it is for me. So it takes work to do what's right or to do what's required, even, and why it says work of faith, even when you don't seem to get any rewards from it yet. You go into church, you're reading your Bible, you're putting money on the plate, you're doing what's required, amen, it's work, but it's gotta be a work of faith. Because what's that mean? Is I gotta have faith that something good's gonna happen. Because a lot of times people come in and they do the work without the faith and they say it's not working. Well, I went to church for a month, it's not working. I've been going to church for six months, I've been reading my Bible, I've been doing it and it's not working and they kind of turn their back on it. That's why I said it's gotta be a work of faith. You know what faith is? Faith is a substance of things hoped for. What are you hoping for? When you received Jesus Christ, the biggest thing I hoped for was not to go to hell. Can someone say amen? See, I didn't pray and ask Jesus to save me to go to heaven. That was a bonus, amen? That was a bonus. I prayed and asked Jesus to save me because the gospel message was, Michael, you're a sinner, you're going to hell. That's a fact. That's the whole message of the gospel. The truth of your salvation. If you don't need salvation, you don't need Jesus. But the Bible's very clear and says we all need salvation, everyone. Our children need salvation, amen? Our young preachers, come on, give it up. Look at this guy, stand up, stand up. Come on, stand up, turn around. Man, he looks good, doesn't he? He's handsome, now sit down. He does look good, man, amen. Everyone needs to be saved. Everyone. Everyone. So therefore, when you got saved, I got saved in time to save my soul from hell. And then I found out, not only did I get saved from hell, I'm going to heaven when I die. That was a bonus, amen? And then I started to get excited about going to heaven, and then God gave me a gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit started to tell me I ought to do this, and I ought to do this, and I ought to do this, and I ought to quit doing this, this, and this. Anybody else with me? And all of a sudden, so I started to work. I started to work at not drinking, smoking, cursing, not going to bars, not going to concerts, not hanging with my old friends. It's a work, amen? But I started to do it, and by faith, I believed that what I was doing was pleasing God, and because it was pleasing God, God's gonna bless me. But it doesn't happen all the time. I mean, right away. That's why it's a work of faith. And you gotta have faith to get through the work. Because sometimes people fall away before they ever even get the blessings. It's like God's ready to bless you and you gave up. God's ready to pour out, open the windows of heaven and pour out all those blessings and you just didn't make it another day. That's why it's a work of faith. So everybody's gotta do what is required of them. The second thing is a labor of love. This is different. Work and labor is two different things. Work is something you're required to do. You go to work, amen, and you leave. You know what labor is? I got a ring, Brian. You know what labor is? Labor of love. That means effort. Real, honest-to-goodness effort. Like some of you, it took effort to drag you into church today. Some of it is, it took effort getting you out of bed. But you did it because of love in your heart. Because of love for God. You know, I think about effort and I think about labor of love. Work and labor, like I said, are not the same. Work is doing what's required, but labor is giving effort from your heart. It's strength, it's stamina, it's from the heart. Or for love's sake, we should say. It's something so different, it's like laboring to win the lost, laboring to win the souls. You know, it's laboring in prayer. You know, have you ever heard the song, sweet hour of prayer? I wonder how many people don't answer, have actually labored to pray for an hour. They used to always pray for an hour. It's a labor. Brian, I'm ringing. Can't you hear me? I got a ring going on. So it's a labor of love. Because it's not, you know, if you just say, I'm just going to do what's required of me, my job. All right, I read a little bit of scripture, I prayed, God save me, you know, bless the food, I'm good. That's work. Labor, though, is something different. You know, women, they give labor, bearing children, amen? It's not easy, is it, girls? I know, man, I had seven kids. I'm telling you, it's not as easy. It's not, I mean, it's not as easy. It's a labor of love. Can I get an amen? You're doing something that not many can do. Not everyone can labor to have a child, can they? Can they? Come on. I don't care what they tell you. Men cannot have children. I don't care what they tell you, these people are nuts. I mean, off the rocker, nuts. They don't know what a woman is. I heard the other day, they said the lady's dog is identifying as a girl dog. Click. It's like, this world is insane, amen? But for a woman to give labor, to labor, it's a labor of love, and not everyone can do it. And that's the same way it is in the Christian life. Not everyone can labor. praying for an hour. Not everyone can labor loving people. Not everyone can labor witnessing to someone. See, it's a labor of love. You can say, okay, I'm going to go out soul winning because it's my job, but it's not a labor. You understand what I'm saying? The difference between labor and work. When you labor, it's because of your heart. You know, I stay up late. working on things, not because I have to, but because my heart says I should. Maybe I stay up late praying. Maybe I, how about this, you're working, you're laboring on your health, right Tony? It's not easy to diet. It's not easy to exercise. It's not easy to lose 35, 40 pounds. But you know that your family needs you here longer. You know that your wife and your husband need you. So out of that labor, you do what you're supposed to do. You got what I'm saying now? I think you do got it. But that's why labor is so different, but that's why it's such a labor of love. Going the extra mile, I'll say. That's what labor is. Going the extra mile. Did you ever hear that, going the extra mile? You know where that came from? Came from the Bible. Turn with me if you would, Matthew 5. Matthew 5. Going the extra mile, that's labor. Going the first mile is your work. Going the second mile, that's labor, amen? You're not going to labor, are you? Oh, okay, I saw you. Let's make it sure, amen? If you can, don't worry, I can catch. I can do it. Look at me in Matthew chapter five, look at verse 38. Jesus said, and you've heard that it is said that it has been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. We all heard that, right? But I say unto you that you resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, Turn to him also the other. That's labor, brother. If someone smacks you in the face, you can say, okay, I can take that. Jesus said, no, why don't you labor in love and give him the other one too? So that's hard. Big difference between I can take a punch, amen, I've taken many a punches. Most of them don't even hurt that much. But to say here, take another one, that's a different story. But look, it gets better. He says in verse 39, I'm sorry, but in verse 40, he says, and if any man will sue you at the law and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoa, that's some labor there, brother. This is what I want you to see. 41, and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him, tween, go with him too. Go the extra mile. What that all comes from is the Roman soldiers, when they came in and they took over the country, they had laws, Roman laws. One of the laws were that if a Roman soldier saw a citizen, they would have, by the law, that citizen would help them carry their load, whatever it is they were carrying, for a mile. And then after that mile, they were done. So you know people hated the Romans. Romans would come in and say, hey you, you boy, get up. You don't have to. You get up here and he put on 150 pounds and he walked out, carried out a mile with me. And the kid would have to because it was the law, right? That was his job, so to speak. But Jesus said, after you've done that mile, carry another. See, that's a labor of love. Why? Could you imagine those Roman soldiers coming in to occupy, and the Jews that Jesus now is affecting and teaching, they take it, and the soldiers know they hate it, the soldiers know they hate him, but then when it comes to them, all right, boy, you don't have to, he says, no, sir, I'll carry it for you another mile. What? And that did something to the soldier. The soldier saw in that person difference. Saw in that person they're not like everyone else. They went the extra mile. Why? Why? For that man's soul. so that they can teach them, show them the love of Christ. You know, that's what Christ did. Christ went the extra mile for us. You know that, right? He went the extra mile for me. He's still going. He's still going the miles. And then he says to us, he says, hey, listen, I know what's required of you, but for your labor of love for me, go the second mile. Let's see you do, what can you do of a labor of love? You know how hard it is? And I know I'm gonna get a couple of amens, trying to get people to come to church once a month for the Lord's Supper, when we have communion, you know what I mean? Once a month, one hour a month. I know it's hard. I know you can't come out of your houses and all that, because you got food and everything. But the labor of love to get people to come to communion. Can I get an amen in the back row? Because these guys are always going like, where are they? I'm like, you know me, you know, tell me. But it's a labor of love to get you to come to commune. Do you understand what I'm getting? Go the second mile once in a while. We call ourselves Christians, we don't go the half a mile. We don't even want to go, I don't know, I'm not going out this Saturday hanging door hangers. I'm busy, I got to cut my grass. Your grass has got to be cut any other day. I mean, we can look excuse after excuse after excuse why we don't go the second mile. But you got to look deep inside your heart. because it's love. You gotta love. If you love your children, go the second mile. If you love your marriage, go the second mile. If you love Jesus, make it be a labor of love and go the second mile. Have some effort, amen? And you'll be blessed for it. The third principle is found, go back with me please. Third principle is found in verse three as well. It says, the work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope. This is what people need, they need patience. The Christian today is so impatient. Christians today are so impatient that if they don't get what they want right away, guess what? You don't see them anymore. People come in and they don't get what they expect to get out of one church service. I don't know about you, anybody ever go to the gym, workout? Me either, good, thank you, one of you, amen, thank you. You can work out one time, it's not gonna do much. Amen? You can do one thing one time, it's not gonna do much. But with patience, it comes. And I just want you to think about your patience. Because without patience, we most often, almost all the time, we miss the prize. We miss the fruit that's coming our way. We miss the results of all that work. and all that labor, because a lot of times we do work and we don't see the fruit of it. A lot of times we labor, labor of love. You ever labor a love for somebody, but you don't get it back reciprocating to you? You loved them, you did extra for them, you did the extra mile for them, but you didn't get anything back, amen? Well, guess what? That's why you need patience. Because what happens is you do your work, you did labor of love, and they didn't give you what you thought, and next thing you know, you're yelling at them. So you just wiped out all the labor of love you just did, amen? We need patience, can I get an amen? Turn to Romans chapter five, talks about patience, everybody talks about patience, seems like. But Jesus said in Luke 21, 19, Jesus said, in your patience, possess ye your souls. In your patience, you possess your souls. Think about that. In your patience, you possess your desire. In your patience, you possess your desires. Anybody got any desires? How about you, Shane? You got any desires? Patience. Amen. How about you, Mary? You got any desires? Patience. How about you, Marcy? You got any desires? Patience. Patience, my dear sister. How about you there, Raven, you got any desires? Patience. How about you, Brian, you got any? Patience, brother, patience. Because without it, you'll never get what it is that's coming to you. And that's why it says patience of hope. And look what it says in Romans 5. It says, starting in verse two, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope. of the glory of God. You see, patience brings hope. Keep reading. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations, also knowing that tribulation worketh patience. And patience, what's that say? Say it with me. Experience. And experience hope. And hope make him not ashamed. Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given to us. You see, Patience, my dear friends. Patience, my brothers and sisters. Patience brings hope. But patience comes by experience. You have to realize and stop being children when it comes to stuff. And stop being I want it now kind of stuff. And just realize it's coming. Have patience. Like a little kid, when's Christmas? When's Christmas? When we going? When we going? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Stop being little children, amen? And start to realize you'll get there when you get there. Has any parent ever said that to their kids? I did, just when we were going away. Are we there yet? You'll get, when is it coming? When it gets here? Just have patience. And you know what? When you build experience through that patience, you experience, you know what? It is going to come. Because it's come to me before. I had patience, patiently waiting on the Lord. The Bible says, wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Be strong. Be of good courage. His blessings are coming. And they are going to come. You know why? Because I have experience in God. John and Nicole, it's good to see you back there. I'm really sorry about what happened the other day. It broke my heart. I was in total shock. But have patience in your marriage. Have patience in selling a home. Have patience in getting everything straightened out. Have patience. It doesn't happen overnight, does it? Amen, can I get an amen? So experience, experience gives you hope. And hope makes not ashamed. So we need to have these three principles in our lives. We need the work, the faith, we need the labor of love, and we need patience of hope. Because too many times, we just don't get it. Bible does say, wait on the Lord, be of good courage. He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. That's Psalm 27, 14. And there's also, look down with me in verse five. Verse five in 1 Thessalonians. It says, for our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. So there's also three promises you get when you wait with that patience. You know what you're gonna get when that work is finished? You know what you're gonna get when that labor of love? You know what you're gonna get when you have that patience of hope? You're gonna get power from God. You don't get power right away. He even said in Acts 1.8, he said, tarry ye in Jerusalem, stay there and wait. And after the Holy Ghost comes on you, you will be endowed with power. And then you will be witnesses of me, both here in Jerusalem, in Judea, and the uttermost parts of the earth. You see, that didn't happen. by accident. God's waiting or watching to see if you really believe and have faith. Because faith will get you through it. Faith will get you to the next level. Faith will get you to the next week, amen? But it says the three promises, power, the Holy Ghost, and assurance. And these things are very important because the first one's power to do the work. He'll give you power to do the work, to turn your back on this old wicked world, on your old ways, and to start serving God. And it says the Holy Ghost, he'll give you a presence. He'll give you power to do the work. He'll give you the presence of God to do the labor of love. How could you go the second mile without the presence of God? How could you go the second mile, amen, without love being shed abroad in your heart? Being a Christian, being a real honest to goodness Christian, Not a said Christian, a phony Christian, one in your head, a real Christian. That means people see your personality. They see your character. They know what kind of person you are. Can I get an amen? And that's why we have these three men. And people knew what they were like and they knew their personalities because these three men had these three promises. Power to do the work, Holy Ghost, the presence of God to do the labor of love, and assurance. Assurance is good. Assurance is the purpose. Why am I even doing it? You ever say that to yourself? Like, why am I even bothering? Anyone ever say that? Why am I even bothering going to church every service? Why am I even bothering, you know, doing, why am I, because you've given up patience because of the hope, but that's what it means by assurance. God will give you assurance in your heart. Blessed assurance, amen. Jesus, amen. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. I get a taste of, see, it's a purpose. God has a purpose for you. Brother Steve Arnshaw, God has a purpose for you. Robin and Ron, God has purposes for your life. I mean, God has a purpose for you, Nicole. God has a purpose for you, Laverne. John, God has a purpose for you. And what happens is, is if you don't do the work, And if you don't do the labor of love, you'll never have the assurance of what your purpose is for God. So many people say, what's the will of God in my life? What does God want from me? You know what he wants you to do? He wants you to start working to clean up your act, start following God. Didn't Jesus come and say, follow me? Didn't he say that? Why don't people think it's crazy to follow him then? Why do they think it's like a, well, I don't know, that's kind of hard. That's the whole point, isn't it? You were following the devil, now let's follow Jesus. The devil's taking you to the world and to hell, Jesus is taking you to higher great places in the heaven. Can I get an amen? So these three promises of power, the Holy Ghost, and assurance, I needed assurance, I need assurance all the time. I need assurance that what I'm doing is right. I need assurance from God that where I'm at exactly in my life right now is exactly where God wants me. And so do you. And when you get that assurance, it keeps you going, amen? And that's why people fall away, because they don't, they're not sure. They don't have that assurance. And then you have, look with me if you would, please, in chapter one of Thessalonians. It says in the end of that, it says, at the end of verse five, it says, and as you know what manner of men we were. You see, they saw these three principles that these men lived by, and they knew what manner of men they were. And it says in verse six, and you became followers of us. Because of these three principles, they started following them. And of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy and the Holy Ghost. There's another three right there, affliction, joy, the Holy Ghost. How are you gonna ever get joy if you don't ever get through affliction? You missed a good Sunday school hour. You should have been here and learned about that. But the thing is, is how are you ever gonna get the Holy Ghost power and all the things that God wants if you won't even suffer through, work through, labor through a little affliction in your life? Can I get an amen? Affliction's coming. It's here. You gotta learn to be able to get through it. Look what it says with me in verse seven. so that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia. Verse nine, it says, for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you. That means what manner of people they were and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living God and to wait, that's the patience for his son from heaven who has delivered us from the wrath that is to come. So there's also three types of preaching I want you to see. Look in the next chapter, chapter two. Chapter two, verse 10. You see it? It says, you are witnesses. and God also, how wholly and justly and unblameably we have behaved ourselves among you that believe. These three men, these three preachers, these three personalities, all live by three principles. And those three principles are laid out right there for us, wholly, justly, and unblameable. If you can live and work to live wholly in your life, wholly in your life. Other people will see that life that you're living and they'll start to believe in you and they'll start to follow you. How are you ever gonna win souls, bring people into eternal life, save souls from going and perishing in hell when you don't live wholly? or you don't even try. That's the work, that's the labor of love, living holy, finding out what holiness is, following Jesus. Can I get anyone to understand? It's not something where, yeah, that's just what the preacher says. That's three traits that we need, three principles to live by. Look what he says, holy, justly, unblameably, behave ourselves among you. Look in verse 11. as you know, how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as the father does his children. That's three types of preaching right there. There's three types of preaching, exhorted, comforted, and charged. These three types of preaching, When the first one is exhort, that means to push out with hard preaching. Exhort, an exhortation. That means the preacher is loud and in your face and telling you what you should be doing. Amen? That's one type. Second type is comfort. Comforting preaching. You know what comforting preaching is? It's not, aw, God love, it's not. It's telling you the truth. that God loves you. It's telling you the truth that you're saved by the blood of the lamb. It's telling you the truth that God's word says you'll never go to hell. It's telling you the truth that God says I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. It's God's truth that says if you follow me, not only will you be saved, but so will your family. It's like, that's comforting to me, amen? I like the one where it says that when Christ comes back, he's gonna come back for his bride, for his church, and that we're never, ever gonna go through the tribulation, that he's gonna come and he's gonna, at the last trump, he's gonna take us off this earth, amen? Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. It's a comforting fact to know that I, as God's son, am never going through the tribulation that he talks about in that Bible. That's very comforting to me, and it's very comforting to know that my children aren't gonna go, and that you won't go, and that we are not gonna go. See, some people will tell you that, oh, you're going through the tribulation. Do you realize that if you're the bride, how many people believe in Christ today? How many people have received Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls? They're no longer going to hell, they're going to heaven, and they know it. Come on, you got a stewardship, amen. Well, that shows that you are the body of Christ. You are his bride, you understand that? You're his woman, his wife, you're his bride. Going through the tribulation would be like seven years punching your wife in the face. That ain't never gonna happen. He nourishes it and cherishes it. He's not gonna say, okay, before we get married for seven years, I'm gonna punch you in the face and say, that's not gonna happen. So you're promised the word of God, and that gives me comfort, amen? And then there's the last type of preaching, which to me is a charge. And that's a charge, it's a command. It's a command by preaching of what you're supposed to do. It's a command by preaching the word of God, what each and every one of us are required by God to do. Can I get an amen? It's great to know what you're required to do. I wouldn't wanna go through life thinking, well, am I supposed to do this? Am I not supposed to do this? Is this okay? I don't wanna go through life like that. Look what it says. It says in verse 11, As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his children, that you would walk worthy of God, who has called you into his kingdom and his glory. Look, it says, for this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, look at this, pay attention, when you receive the word of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as word of men, but as it is in truth, as the word of God. which affectually worketh also in you that believe. And because of that, verse 14, you became followers of the churches of God. But I want you to see that through this type of preaching, when you heard it, you didn't think, oh, that's just him saying it. You took it as it was the word of God. And let me just, I'm gonna finish with this. Let me just show you, very simply, what God asks you to do. Three principles to live by. Work of faith. Work knowing that it's all going to abound to your account. A labor of love, go the second mile. The only reason you can go the second mile is because of love. Love will make a person do a lot of things. Love will make a person take a bullet for someone else. Love will make a person run into the building. Love will make a person fight off the attackers. Love will make a person go out and tell people about Jesus so they don't have to burn in hell, amen? Love will make a person vote the right way so we can abolish murdering babies in the womb, amen? If you think it's okay to murder babies, you got some serious problems. Murder, an innocent human life that God has created and has a purpose for, and you said murder it, and you think that's okay. Where do you think you got that from? You got it from Satan himself, amen? We need to change our thing. So three principles to live by, work of faith, that shows others. Labor of love that wins others, amen? And patience of hope, that assures us that God always comes through. And he gives us experience knowing, hey listen, God's gonna make it, God's gonna work it, it's gonna happen, amen? Turn with me to the last verse, Micah chapter six, Micah in the Bible, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, right after Jonah, Micah, you'll find Micah. Do we have a Micah? Micah, hey Micah, that's his name. That's a good name, Micah. I like it. We need some more Micahs. Any of you ladies have children, name a Micah, Michael. I like it. Middle name, third name, I don't care. Just throw a Micah in there somewhere. Amen. Yes. Huh? Who's? Your name's Michael? Middle name, I like you. See, that's why I like you, amen, amen. Micah chapter six, let's just break it down and we'll finish. Miss Molly, if you'd come on up, please. Let's look at Micah chapter six, are y'all there? Look what it says in verse eight. I think it's up on the screen, it is. It says, he has showed thee, oh man, God has showed us even today what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee. Look, these three things, but to do justly, that's your work, to love mercy, that's your labor, and to walk humbly. to walk with the Lord. The Bible says that you may walk worthily of what God's calling in your life. It's very, very simple if you ask me. To do is our work, to love is our labor, to walk with God humbly is our patience. Because sometimes God's walk's long. Sometimes God takes long walks. Sometimes God doesn't say where he's going. He just says follow me. and takes patience to follow him. Sometimes when you think he ought to stop here, he doesn't stop. You remember the long six mile walk that he had with Simon and the other guy on the road to Emmaus, not Emmaus, Damascus, remember? When he was talking with them and he opened up, it says the scriptures to them and it says their hearts burned and he was telling them when they got to where they were going, he kept going. And they said, no, please, please stop. Stay with us, stay with us. See, when you think God's gonna stop, he keeps going. When you think this is long enough, he keeps going. When you think I did enough, he keeps going. That takes patience, my friend. Amen? But when you have patience, when you walk humbly with God, you know what it means to walk humbly? Keep your head down. Don't think it's about you, just follow the feet of Jesus, amen? And guess what? He'll always lead you to where you're supposed to be. God is good. Can I get an amen? Amen. As the music starts to play, let's have an invitation for you today. Let's have an invitation for you to get your heart right with God. Please stand to your feet. This old-fashioned altar is a place where you can come and you can start the work of faith today by faith, believing. Have faith that God will hear your prayer today. Have faith that God will hear your prayer. And labor, it's a labor of love. Fathers coming to the altar, being the example, Having this three principles to live by because you have three promises of God. Coming to the altar shows your family that you mean business. Coming to the altar and bowing shows you humble yourself before the Lord. Coming and bowing and praying is a great way to lead your family, men. Mothers, lead your children in prayer. Have prayer time with your children, ladies. Don't let your children just grow up not knowing how to pray. Pray with them. It is a labor of love. Tell them about Jesus. Tell them about how he's changed your life. Tell them about how you believe in heaven. Tell them how he saved you. All your sins are gone. Tell them how you suffered on the cross. Tell your children. Tell them all about it. Let them know and labor for them in love. I pray, Almighty God, that you will look upon this church and your people now, that you will help them, strengthen them, give unto them this, those things that you promised, Lord, the power, Three promises, I pray Almighty God, for those that are having a work of faith, give them the power of God to do that work. For those that need to go the extra mile and do labor of love, give them your Holy Spirit, that presence of God's love in you. Let them do it for love, the labor of love. And that third one, the assurance, Lord God, that the purpose, the purpose will be known purpose will be shown, and the fruit of the labor of love will be given. God, as we sing that song, make our life a witness. Help us to lead souls to God. I pray for all the millions upon millions upon millions of babies that were murdered in their mothers' wombs. I know they're in heaven with you. And I pray that their mothers who didn't know, and their fathers who didn't know, come to know you, that they can meet that child in heaven someday. All the children that ever didn't make it out of the womb are in heaven with you. And one day, every mother, every father, every brother, sister will meet them and rejoice and praise you forever. And it'll be joy, peace, and love forever and ever. In a place where there's no pain, the sorrow, the parting, the place of heaven, the place of the presence of the almighty God, where there is no sin, there's no wickedness. Lord, we're going there. We thank you for it. Help us to bring others. Help us to bring our wives and husbands, our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers. Help us to bring our neighbors and our friends. Help us to bring a lost and dying world to the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for that. In Jesus' name, before I say amen, if there's anyone, anyone at the sound of my voice that wants to be saved, that wants their sins forgiven, that has faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on that cross to save sinners, and now you want to be saved. I'll help you right now in prayer. Just have the labor of love and the work of faith in your heart. And call upon the name of the Lord, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's a promise from God. I want you right now, if you want to be saved, call upon his name. Say, Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner. I need to be saved. I don't want to go to hell. I don't want to suffer for all eternity for my sin. Save me, Jesus. I believe in you. Save me, Lord. I trust in you. Give me the power in the Holy Ghost. Give me the blessed assurance of my salvation. Help me, Lord God. Give me the power to walk with you, to turn from my wicked ways. I pray, Almighty God, for that song. help them in their life. God, I pray for America, that you'd help us and bring us, I pray, to the place of God. Bring us, Lord God, to do the right things for every right reason. Save the soul that nears hell. Save the unborn. Save the families. Save the churches. Save our nation. I pray all this in Jesus' name, and all God's people say, amen.