Amen and amen to the prayers that have been prayed this morning, the songs that we could sing together, the message we just heard. May it read down to the glory of God and be for the good of us as God's children here this morning. And I pray that I would love every one of you here this morning from my heart. I pray that that Jesus would be first in my life and that every one of you here this morning would be considered in my heart before me. And if the Lord would return at this moment, that it would be in my heart to see every person here this morning, as it were, going to the glories of heaven before me. I pray it would be that way in my heart. And I'm thankful that as a result of what the Prince of Peace has done, only as a result of that, as far as I know this morning, there's not a person on earth that I couldn't or wouldn't just be happy to wash feet with him. Otherwise, I would just need to stop endeavoring to even share something this morning, according to what Brother Joel just shared with us. And so if that love is not in my heart, I have nothing more to say. If the love of God is here, then there might be something to say. And I pray that the rest of what I share this morning or words spoken here, this service rather, what we've already heard would be to the praise of his glory. and for our good as children of God. So may the Lord be pleased to continue speaking to us this morning as he has already indeed. There was a man. There was a day when this Savior that we've been hearing about this morning was nailed to a piece of wood, to a cross. He was hung up on Calvary's cross. And as he was hanging there, at an 11th hour, there was a person that needed to Experience the presence of the Lord before death. He was dying, hanging on a cross, and thankfully the Lord ministered to his needs as Jesus was hanging there. He spoke amazing words, a part of what he said as he looked down on the ground, as it were, and those people were there that had nailed him to a cross. His prayer was father. Forgive them for they know not what they do. What amazing words. But this morning, as we think of the message we've already heard and going to the next one, I'm especially thinking of the fact that the Jews that were so intent on having him crucified, they didn't want him hanging there on the holy, on the high Sabbath day. And so they go and they express somewhat of a concern, I guess. They wanted to have him removed from the cross. before the Sabbath day. And so it was decided they would go break the bones, break the leg bones of these three men hanging on the crosses there. And of course, when they came to Jesus, Jesus had already laid down his life. And then there was a soldier that took a spear and pierced it into his side. And I asked you this morning, what was it that flowed from his heart? And when we experience things like Brother Joel was talking to us about this morning that are hard and difficult. Church life can be hard at times. And from Jesus' side flowed blood and water as the soldier pierced his side. But there was an opening made. And that opening I want us to not forget about this morning. The pierced side. We thought about the rendered veil the other evening. Today we could spend all the rest of our time here thinking about the rendered side, the side that was open. There was not a bone broken. But I tend to think that that that spear went up into Jesus side, the side of his heart and and just from his side, from his being, holy blood flowed from his side, blood and water. And I just. Just blessed to be able to share that with you this morning. And I pray that that scene and that the reality of all of that would just become more real to us in our hearts this morning. For the message, I invite you to turn to Luke chapter 10. And I'd like to read verses 30, beginning at verse 30 through 35, at least we have here a lawyer and Jesus communicating And we find them communicating verses 25 through 29. We won't take time to read those verses. We'll go on to verse 30. It says, And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise, a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him. and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow, when he departed, He took out two pence and gave them to the host and said unto him, take care of him. And whatsoever thou spendest more when I come again, I will repay thee. I'd like to title the message this morning, The End. That three little word, The End. We'd like to draw 10 types out of this portion of scripture this morning, 10 types. And types and shadows is something I've enjoyed looking at, but these are just a little different than Old Testament types. But just, I like to think of these as types and maybe, I know many different applications could be made from this. And there's a couple of them we especially want to notice this morning. Number one, We think of the type, the road that went from Jerusalem to Jericho, a type of man's condition outside of Christ. The priest, a type of the Old Testament sacrifices. The Levite, a type of the law. The Good Samaritan, a type of Jesus. The wine, a type of the blood of Jesus. The oil, a type of the Holy Spirit. The inn, a type of the church that we heard about this morning. The two pence, a type of divine enablement that God gives, take care of him, a type of the commitment it takes in the church of Jesus Christ. And as it relates to fellowship that we have in the Church of Jesus Christ and another subtopic of that that we might touch on briefly, possibly, as it relates to even what we call church membership, standards of practice, brotherhood agreements, and some scriptures, I think, that point us in that direction. And then when I come again, a type of being where I'm going to be when Jesus returns. When Jesus comes for me, where do I want to be? When I come again to the end. And so this morning we look at this, the road that goes from Jerusalem to Jericho. Some of you here this morning have been in Israel, you've seen the road. And what is significant about that? Jerusalem, 2,000 feet above sea level. Jericho considered to be in the area of the lowest part on earth, the lowest part on earth, 800 feet below sea level. A person on the road going away from Jerusalem toward Jericho. That's where I was, and that's where all of us as adults here this morning have been. And may we never forget the wonder of it all that the Lord Jesus, a good Samaritan, came to us when we were laying there beaten and half dead. and alive but spiritually wounded and headed to Jericho. We believe Jericho was in the area of the Dead Sea and former Sodom and Gomorrah, where the judgment of God was poured out on sin and corruption and evil, a picture of God's judgment. And if we continue down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho in the end, we will experience, of course, the judgment of the Lord. But thankfully, there is one that came to this man that was going the wrong direction, as maybe someone here this morning could possibly be going. And we know in our hearts we're going from Jerusalem down to Jericho. In the scripture, it uses the word down. And we're just thankful this morning again, we can tell you the good Samaritan is still going out on this road that goes from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he's finding people there, and he's going to them. It's true. Yes, the priest, when he saw this man, he just passed by on the other side. The Bible tells us it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats would take away sin. In Hebrews, we find that. that verse Hebrews 10 and verse 4. That is a type of the Old Testament sacrifices. Thousands of lambs and sheep were offered up as an offering. They pointed forward to what happened at Calvary when Jesus side was pierced and from it flowed blood and water. It is not possible that all the blood of those bulls and goats would take away sin. The priest, the Levite also came by. And he looked on the person, but he went by on the other side. I think of that as a type of the law. And the other evening, I think we noticed where where Paul Paul's personal testimony in Romans seven in verse nine. He said he was alive once without the law, but then the commandment revived and I died. Even there was there was not a one of us that could keep the law perfectly. And so even the law was not able to help this man be justified and restored. There we have then the picture of the good Samaritan, a type to me I like to think of as Jesus coming to us. Where we are. I love those words. Notice it says came where he was. And that could be a whole message in itself, not God knows. The Lord knows where we are this morning. He knows where you are, where I am. And he knows how hurt or burdened or how whatever our case is in life. And he comes to where we are. And there he finds us and he pours in. wine and oil. Again, I like to think of that wine as a type of the blood of Jesus that cleanseth us from all sin. The Bible tells us in the book of John and many other places we think of the blood of Jesus and how it cleanses us from all sin. I like to think of this oil that was poured in as a type of the Holy Spirit. If we have not the Spirit of God, we are none of His, the Bible tells us. And that is part of the being birthed into the kingdom of God, is being born of the Spirit of God. We are rebirthed and born again by the power of God in our lives. The Good Samaritan pours in the wine and the oil. And then the question this morning is, did the good Samaritan do all this for this person that he found wounded laying there half dead and then just let him there on the road that beside the road that went from Jerusalem to Jericho? Did he just let him laying there and hope that he would find his way the rest of the way? Indeed, Jesus tells a story. The Good Samaritan takes this person, puts him on his own beast, and where did he take him? Where did he take him? He took him to the inn. And I love to think of that as a type of the church, the church of Jesus Christ, the household of God. I'm thankful this morning. That that's where the good Samaritan took me. And I'm thankful this morning to be a part of a wonderful brotherhood of believers at home. And and that's not an exaggeration. They, as a result of the work of grace in their hearts, are just an amazingly wonderful group of church people to fellowship with and be a part of. And they have helped me tremendously and still do. This person was taken to the inn. a type of the church. And so we this morning we ask ourselves, where are we? Have we allowed the Good Samaritan to take us to the inn? When he got there, he took out two pens to give to the host, the innkeepers. I like to think of that this morning as divine enablement that God gives. The Lord Jesus gives Who can preach? Who can teach? Who can be these things that Brother Joel shared with us this morning, taken from 1 Corinthians 12? It is as Jesus once said, without me you can do nothing. And who is sufficient for these things? Our sufficiency is of God. Divine enablement. But this morning then we go to, I think it is point number nine here, where the charge is given, take care of him. And what a charge and a calling that is. And this morning we would say that everyone that the Good Samaritan brings to the end has a responsibility to help take care of the others that he is still bringing into the end. You might be 16 years old here this morning and you have a great ministry in helping take care of those that the Lord is bringing to the end. It takes commitment. to a cause. And I would like, if I could quickly, to think of, as we'll think of commitment this morning as one part, a story and an Old Testament character. Something Lamp and Light has in one of their books. It's in the book titled Commitment or Committed, something like that. It's a story in the Andes Mountains long ago, an Indian village lay in grave danger. It did not rain for many moons. Starvation was imminent, and now lately they had sighted enemy scouts from outlying fields. The end was very near. The face of the chief was long and gray, usually a man of few words. He said, in his way, the gods, spelled with a little G, are very angry. Late one evening, an Inca holy man appeared in front holy in parentheses, appeared in front of the chief. The gods are very angry, said the priest. The chief bowed his head. Tonight we must talk about sacrifice. Bring all the people to the council clearing at sundown. And with a toss of his horned headpiece, the man was gone. The moon was late that night, and as the crowd waited in the clearing, it became very dark. A winking, smoking grease lamp cast eerie shadows on a dark veil, stretched. Between two trees at the edge of the clearing, no one spoke. There was a veil there for, you know, separation, for not knowing what was going on behind. The holy man stepped out from behind the veil. There was this man, he stepped out, he said, men of the village, and his words were measured and slow. It is a bad day. The gods are requiring a sacrifice. Men must die tonight. The gods are asking for 10 of your bravest men to give themselves in sacrifice that the village might be saved. That was their idea, their thought. 10 men needed to die so the village would be spared from the anger of their so-called gods. The chief gasped in horror, but quickly regained his composure. No one moved. Who will be first? Boomed the priest, shaking his horned hood and drawing a long knife. Who will go behind the veil with me? Get the picture. Commitment. Who is willing to pay the price? There was silence. At last, the chief's son stepped forward and bowed before his father in the group No, screamed his mother. The chief raised his hand, motioning her to silence. Father, said the youth, you have taught me to lead the people by being the example. I shall go first. The chief said nothing, but his head sank lower onto his chest. The boy stood up. squared his shoulders, and walked behind the veil with the priest. The jaws of young men twitched in the group as the prince disappeared. A glint of steel was seen above the curtain. There was the dull crunch of the blade as it struck flesh and bone. Blood flowed from beneath the curtain. Girls were sobbing. The priest returned, blood dripping from his blade. Next was the call, nine more must die. A young father stepped out. I die if I do and die if I don't, he said. Perhaps if I do, my family will live. His wife cried piteously. He, too, disappeared behind the veil with the priest. The knife fell, blood flowed. The priest returned alone. Ten times the knife went up. Ten times the blood flowed. Old men had gone and young. It is enough, said the priest. Mourn this night. Deliverance will come in the morning. Return to your huts. Bury the dead in a single trench at sunrise tomorrow. And with that, he disappeared. Late that night, a boy, less religious than the rest, crept into the council clearing and peered behind the veil. Ten sheep lay dead on a pile, throats sliced wide. Far in the distance, 11 men hurried over the mountain past into enemy territory. As far as what you were doing and still wanted to do, you were all dead men, El Capitan was saying. You have no will of your own anymore. From now on, all your orders come from me. Do exactly as I say. You must never flinch or falter. This is the legend of El Capitan. We expect blood, sweat, and tears from soldiers. They are willing to pay the ultimate price. death to serve their country. Is it strange that the followers of Christ should pay the same price? commitment to the cause of Christ. I think of you here this morning. There are many of you that have needed to say goodbye at times when it was real hard to say goodbye to your children, to your friends and loved ones because they went across the mountains and different countries and they were telling people there about the wonderful story of the Good Samaritan. And since we were here, we heard of someone having a wedding and one of the siblings was not able to be here because of a commitment to the cause. Take care of him. Take care of those that the Good Samaritan is bringing to the end and be a blessing there. Put your heart into it. And may it be a means of just the church growing and for the glory of God, it being a blessing. The Old Testament character I want to tell you about just briefly. We won't turn to it. The setting, I think, is 1 Samuel chapter 11. David, the king of Israel, supposed to be the leader, supposed to be the one to shepherd the sheep, and he failed so miserably. You can pray for all your ministering brethren. They're just as human as you are, and they are tempted like you are. And it takes the grace of God for every one of us to be faithful. David was in Jerusalem when maybe it would have been better if he would have, at that moment, been committed to the cause like Uriah, one of his wonderful faithful soldiers was. David sinned miserably with Uriah's wife Bathsheba. And to cover and hide the sin, he called for Joab, as it were, to send Uriah home so that Uriah would come home and be with his wife and his sin would be covered. Uriah comes home. David asked him about the battle and how things are going there. And Uriah did give an explanation, I believe, of what was happening there. It's actually 2 Samuel 11, and I believe he could give a report, and it's just so amazing. Uriah, who was Uriah? Do you know Uriah was a Hittite? Uriah was a person that was considered to be a part of a group of people that were outcasts, and there was a time when they were to be killed. But Uriah, bless the Lord, he became a part of Israel in heart. He was also one that was found, as it were, on that road going from Jerusalem to Jericho. Not considered one of the holy people of Israel. His name means flame of Jehovah. And we're challenged and blessed with that this morning. Uriah gives the report and then David says, go down to your house. And we won't read this, go down to your house. And in our words, we would say, you know, just take a break. Uriah, you've been out there fighting the battles, go home and glad you're here and go home and be with your wife a while. And even one time he even sent food along, you know, for him to go home and just take it easy there for a while and wash his feet and sit back and relax. And the lazy boy, we would say, But there was something in Uriah's heart. He couldn't go home and just sleep at home with his wife and just relax and take it easy. And why was that? He gave an expression later to David that tells us so much about who Uriah was. And I pray that that same kind of commitment and dedication to the cause of the church of Christ would be in our hearts. David even went to the point of getting Uriah drunk, drinking and intoxicating beverage so Uriah would get drunk enough to go home to his wife. And I don't believe that Uriah would not have loved to have been there. After his death, Bathsheba mourned. I believe he was a good husband, but there was something greater in his heart than just relaxing and taking it easy today. And it and I would like to to just read to you, I will read to you this. You don't need to turn to this scripture. But what Uriah said when David, you know, David just could not comprehend this. David, the leader. And here was one of we're going to just say one of the younger ones or one of the other ones, one of the other members of this body that were so committed. Uriah said to David, in response to David not being able to understand it, he said, the ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents, and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord, they're encamped in the open fields out there. They're in battle. How shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink and to lie down with my wife? As thou livest and as I so liveth, I will not do this thing. And he remained at the gate of the king. He remained on call all night long. A challenge. Am I willing to do that for Joab and the other people of Israel, the people of God that are encamped in the open fields? And God had something greater for them. The temple was to be built and Uriah was so committed, he couldn't just live a life of ease knowing the battle that his brothers were facing. And I pray that we would have that same kind of heart. We can enjoy life and life is in Christ. Jesus is a joy. It is the best life possible to live. But you know, the Bible even brings out about those that are bound as we should be bound with them. And I think, and just if I can just share in blessing and support of the message we heard this morning, having a feeling for and with each other and being there in heart, like Uriah was, it makes such a difference in church life. Take care of him. I would like this morning also to, if I can, just something that really blessed me in the discovery of it. Today, a lot is made at times about church membership and standards of practice. And this is something that just helped me at least. And we don't have time for much at all of this, but I would just say, you can turn to Acts 18 and it's just a beautiful story there. I mean, sometime you can. Paul preaching at Corinth, preaching the gospel. And what happened? There were people that heard the gospel and they were converted. One of those men was Crispus. It mentions his name, him and his household. They hearing the gospel, they repented of their sins. They believed. and were baptized. Were they just left on that road that goes from Jerusalem down to Jericho just to fend for themselves and hopefully they'll make it the rest of the way back to Jerusalem? Not at all. We're blessed to be able to turn to 1 Corinthians 1. That message was preached in Corinth. You go to 1 Corinthians 1, and this just blesses me that Crispus is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1. He was there at the church at Corinth. This morning's message, the basis was taken from the book of 1 Corinthians. Now, and I hope we can get a little of this picture. The brethren were now together here in Corinth. What were they supposed to do? How were they supposed to do? Were they supposed to just live their own life and go their own way? Not at all. We've already heard about that, but I'd like to read one verse from 1 Corinthians 1. It's actually verse 10 here of these same people and these brethren. Crispus, one that was converted in Acts 18 in Corinth, is one of these. His name is mentioned here in this chapter. He says, now I beseech you, brethren. Excuse me, I must read verse nine though with that. God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. That's at the end. Fellowship. The fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a wonderful place to be and God in his faithfulness has called us there. Verse 10, now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing. That there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. How amazing is that? I think it's verse 14 where Crispus is mentioned. He was one of these people. He was one that heard the gospel. He repented of his sins. He believed in Jesus. He's here in Corinth. And they are told to dwell together in those amazing ways. No divisions. He wrote it because there's a possibility of that happening. And he's beseeching us to draw together into oneness and stand together, perfectly joined together. What an amazing scripture and call and challenge. To me, that is a picture of being a part of a fellowship of a brotherhood of believers, which today we call church membership. And this could go on out further, of course, even into areas of. As we would think. Brotherhood agreement is taking biblical principles and making application of them. My time is up here. I will just share in light of that, that here is something that was in a in a little magazine many years ago. It caught my attention. The herd that provides security and defense for its members in the wildlife nature that God has created also governs every aspect of their lives. And it's a story of wild animals and how they need each other. And when the when the mothers were calving and babies were being born, how that they needed to band together for protection of the young. And even so, that was brought out in the message this morning of how important it is For the young among us and those that the Lord is bringing to the end, how sad it is if they get to the end and they find there's division and contention there. And especially when it comes from a lack of humility, when it comes as a result of pride. That's a challenging verse Brother Joel shared with us. Only by pride cometh contention. I pray God would remove pride from our hearts and fill our hearts with humility. In conclusion, Ephesians 2 verses 19 to 22, I will just turn and read that. Meaningful verses. Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners. Thank God we're no longer out there on that road that goes from Jerusalem down to Jericho, but fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. May God bless you as you walk with the Lord and allow him to take you from that road that leads from Jerusalem to Jericho and to pour in the wine and oil and to take you to the inn. And may you be blessed to dwell there. And then as the Lord continues bringing others in, look for opportunity, take care of him, nurture him and her that the church of Jesus Christ might be built up. I just now think of what I was going to use for an illustration this morning. We're going to leave that and wish you God's blessings. I'll turn the time over to Brother James.