IT'S TIME FOR US TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TODAY. AND AS WE DO THAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON MY HEART AND MIND FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT IN THIS SERVICE TODAY ABOUT GOING TO HEAVEN. AND WE OBVIOUSLY REALIZE TODAY THAT TO GET TO HEAVEN WE'VE GOT TO FIRST GET THROUGH THIS LIFE THAT WE'RE LIVING. AND THAT CAN BE QUITE A CHALLENGE. I KNOW THAT WE TALK ABOUT THESE TYPES OF THINGS QUITE A LOT IN THIS MINISTRY. THAT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE I'M A PREACHER THAT LIKES TO DEAL WITH PRACTICAL ISSUES. THERE'S NO SENSE IN DEALING WITH A LOT OF THINGS THAT NOBODY IS THINKING ABOUT. OR NOBODY'S DEALING WITH. SO I'D RATHER HELP FOLK THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THINGS. AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH, IS THE STRUGGLE OF DEALING WITH LIFE. NOW IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING TODAY, THAT LIFE CAN BE QUITE CHALLENGING. THESE DAYS THAT WE'RE LIVING, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT COME OUR WAY THAT TEST US AND TRY US. SOME OF THOSE THINGS WE HAVE ENOUGH INNER STRENGTH TO DEAL WITH. AND IF WE CAN'T RESOLVE THE ISSUE WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO OUTLAST THE ISSUE. BUT THEN THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT COME OUR WAY, THAT ARE GREATER THAN WE ARE. WE FIND OURSELVES STRUGGLING, WE FIND OURSELVES LOSING THE BATTLE OF THAT STRUGGLE. AND MANY TIMES WE CONTEMPLATE GIVING UP, THROWING IN THE TOWEL, CALLING IT QUITS, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT TODAY. THE END RESULT IS, WE'VE LOST. RECENTLY I CAME ACROSS SOME STATISTICS, THAT WERE QUITE TROUBLING FOR ME TO READ. IT WAS A SURVEY RESULT THAT THE CDC HAD REVEALED A FEW DAYS AGO. AND THE JEST OF WHAT THAT CDC SURVEY SAID WAS THIS; THAT IN THE LAST YEAR, ONE OUT OF EVERY 100 ADULTS PLANNED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. NOW WHEN I READ THOSE NUMBERS I THOUGHT THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE SO. BUT THEN AS I READ ON I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THERE WAS THAT KIND OF A NUMERICAL RESULT. BECAUSE AS WE LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT WOULD COME TO OUR LIFE THAT MIGHT CAUSE US TO THINK ABOUT IT I'M SURE IN THIS DAY THAT WE'RE LIVING IN THAT THE ISSUE OF SUICIDE LOOKS LIKE A LEGITIMATE ANSWER TO TODAY'S PROBLEMS. NOW BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER I WANT TO TELL YOU I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT KIND OF THINKING. I DON'T THINK THAT SUICIDE IS AN ANSWER TO ANY PROBLEM. I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND I JUST CANNOT MYSELF SEE WHERE IT WOULD BE A GOOD RESULT TO ANYTHING THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH. TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE THE ISSUE OF SUICIDE IS A PERMANENT ANSWER FOR A TEMPORARY PROBLEM. NOW HAVING SAID THAT, I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE MANY TIMES IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULTY IT MAY APPEAR LIKE IT'S THE ONLY SOLUTION AVAILABLE. I REALIZE THINGS CAN GET BAD. IN FACT, THINGS CAN BECOME MORE THAN BAD, THEY CAN BECOME HORRIBLE. THEY CAN BE BEYOND THE ABILITY TO BEAR. I KNOW THAT MOST OF THE TIME THE REASON THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER SUCH A THING WOULD BE BECAUSE OF THE EMOTIONAL EFFECT ON US. I KNOW THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE SUFFER PHYSICALLY. AND PAIN IS IT'S OWN ISSUE. PAIN WILL MAKE YOU DO THINGS THAT YOU WOULDN'T NORMALLY DO. BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT I THINK IT'S THE EMOTIONAL STRESS THAT GETS PUT UPON MAN THAT CAUSES MAN TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE HE THINKS AND CONTEMPLATES THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO END ONES OWN LIFE THAN IT WOULD BE TO CONTINUE ON WITH LIFE THE WAY THAT IT PRESENTLY IS. NOW, AS A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED AS LONG AS WE POSSES THE ABILITY TO REACH OUT TO CHRIST AND TRUST HIM FOR THE HELP THAT WE NEED. SUICIDE IS NEVER A VIABLE OPTION. IT'S A TRAGIC RESULT. NOW HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, I REALIZE THAT IF I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE I CAN'T BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A PERSON MAY BE THINKING OR FEELING WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THESE THINGS. AND I'M ADMITTING THAT UP FRONT. I DON'T EVER RECALL A TIME WHERE I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE A REAL SOLUTION TO ANYTHING THAT I WAS DEALING WITH. THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE. IT JUST MEANS THAT THANKFULLY, AT A VERY EARLY AGE I HAD SOMETHING INSTILLED IN ME THAT HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN I COME TO A TIME OF TROUBLE I GO TO THE LORD IN THAT TIME OF TROUBLE AND HE WILL BE THERE TO HELP ME. NOW I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING AND YOU FEEL LIKE THAT THIS MIGHT BE A SOLUTION. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU BEFORE YOU PURSUE THAT GIVE IT TO GOD. GIVE IT TO THE LORD. LET HIM HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP YOU. AND I WANT TO READ TO YOU THE REASON WHY. IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW IN THE 24TH CHAPTER. THERE'S ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT I WANT TO READ. NOW, WHEN I SAY THE 24TH CHAPTER OF MATTHEW SOME OF YOU THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH SCRIPTURE ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO SAY, BUT THAT'S A SCRIPTURE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE END TIME. THAT'S RIGHT, IT IS. AND WITHOUT DOING INJURY TO SCRIPTURE, I WANT TO PULL THIS ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE SOMEWHAT OUT OF CONTEXT TO DEAL WITH A SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE THAT JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT HERE. I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE EVENTS BEING SPOKEN OF IN CHAPTER 24 OF MATTHEW. BUT THIS ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE HAS MORE THAN JUST AN END TIME IMPLICATION. IT SIMPLY SAYS THERE AND JESUS HIMSELF IS SAYING THIS TODAY. IN VERSE 13, BUT HE THAT SHALL ENDURE TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED. OH, LET ME QUOTE THAT TO YOU AGAIN. BUT HE THAT SHALL ENDURE TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED. NOW WHAT JESUS IS HELPING US TO REALIZE IS, THAT THIS PRINCIPLE IS TRUE OF ALL AREAS OF OUR LIFE. IF WE DON'T POSSES THE ABILITY TO ENDURE TO THE END. THEN SALVATION IS GOING TO ESCAPE US. WE HAVE TO HOLD ON, WE HAVE TO DEVELOP AN ABILITY TO FIGHT THROUGH WHAT EVER IT IS THAT MAY BE CHALLENGING US SO THAT WE CAN COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF THAT THING AND BE VICTORIOUS. NOW I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE WAIT UPON THE LORD FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE NEED OF VICTORY IS THE END RESULT. DO WE WIN EVERY BATTLE? I WISHED I COULD TELL YOU WE DO. BUT THE TRUTH IS, WE DON'T. WE'RE GOING TO SUFFER DEFEATS AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN OUR LIFE. BUT EVEN THEN, WHAT YOU DO IN THE FACE OF DEFEAT WILL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR THAT YOU ARE FIGHTING. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS VERSE OF SCRIPTURE AND WE THINK ABOUT ALL THAT PEOPLE ARE ENDURING TODAY. WE HAVE TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT, WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT'S GONNA COME AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS THING THAT WE'RE FACING. YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD ME SAY TO YOU THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE AN EASY ROAD. I DON'T THINK THIS BOOK TELLS US WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EASY ROAD. WHETHER YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT OR THE NEW TESTAMENT. I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT THROUGHOUT ALL OF BIBLICAL HISTORY THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE LORD FACED THINGS THAT WERE FAR BEYOND HUMAN ABILITY TO DEAL WITH. WHETHER WE'RE TALKING FROM ADAM TOO JOHN WHO IS THE LAST PERSONALITY THAT WE SEE IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION. NO MATTER WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY SHOW TO US THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE TIMES IN OUR LIFE THAT WE STRUGGLE. THAT'S AN INEVITABLE FACT, WE'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE. BUT WE ALSO SEE THROUGH THE STORY OF THEIR LIVES THAT IF WE'LL WAIT UPON THE LORD. IF WE'LL GIVE OUR TROUBLES AND OUR TRIALS TO GOD. GOD HAS PROMISED HE WOULD COME AND GIVE TO US THAT STRENGTH AND THAT DIVINE ABILITY THAT WE HAVE NEED OF SO THAT WE COULD WEATHER THE STORMS OF OUR LIFE THAT WE COULD FACE THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE BEFORE US. THAT WE COULD DO JUST AS JESUS SAYS IN MATTHEW 24:13. THAT WE COULD ENDURE TOO THE END. WHETHER WE'RE SPEAKING TO THE END OF OUR PRESENT DIFFICULTY. WHETHER WE'RE DEALING WITH THE END OF A LONG TERM PROBLEM. WHETHER WE'RE DEALING WITH A VALLEY THAT NEVER SEEMS TO END OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE END OF ALL LIFE. WE'VE GOT TO ENDURE TO THE END IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. NOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT BEING SAVED WHILE WE ARE HERE. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT MORE THAN JUST SPIRITUAL SALVATION. GRANT IT, THERE IS THAT. WE NEED TO HAVE A SPIRITUAL SALVATION. WE NEED TO BOW BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF GOD, ASK HIM TO FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS AND COMMIT OUR LIVES TO HIM. THAT IS THE SALVATION THAT CARRIES US INTO ETERNITY AND ALLOWS US TO ENJOY HEAVEN FOR ALL OF ETERNITY. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THAT KIND OF SALVATION. AND IT IS MY PRAYER TODAY THAT EVERYBODY THAT IS LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW WILL EXPERIENCE THAT KIND OF SALVATION. BUT I ALSO CONCLUDE THAT THERE IS MORE THAN JUST THE ETERNAL SALVATION OF OUR SOUL THAT GOD IS WANTING TO GRANT TO US TODAY. I BELIEVE HE WANTS TO SAVE US FROM THE THINGS THAT WOULD DESTROY US WHILE WE ARE YET WALKING THIS ROAD OF LIFE. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS, THERE'S A LOT OF STRESSES THAT CAN COME. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE BATTLE WITH INWARDLY. AND IF WE TAKE THOSE THINGS TO GOD AS WELL, HE WILL HELP US. HE'S PROMISED HE WOULD. HE SAID HE WOULD NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US. HE SAID HE WOULD BE WITH US ALWAYS. HE SAID HE WOULD BE A FRIEND THAT STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER. HE SAID HE WOULD SEND US ANOTHER COMFORTER. FRIEND HE HAS GIVEN TO US EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD EVER NEED IN THIS WORLD TO SURVIVE EVERYTHING THAT WOULD COME OUR WAY. SO THAT WE COULD BE SAVED. TODAY SOME OF US NEED TO BE SAVED FROM OURSELVES. WE ARE TRULY OUR OWN WORST ENEMY AT TIMES. THERE ARE WEAKNESSES WITHIN US. THERE ARE VULNERABILITIES THAT WE ALL SEEM TO HAVE. THAT, THAT MAKES US SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEFEAT. AND GIVING UP, THROWING IN THE TOWEL AS WE TALKED ABOUT. THERE ARE THINGS THAT GOD NEEDS TO WORK WITHIN US. CHANGES THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD NEEDS TO WORK WITHIN US. TO MAKE US SOMETHING THAT WE NEVER WERE. YOU SEE, PEOPLE BECOME AFRAID OF THAT BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO BECOME AFRAID OF IT WHEN GOD IS DOING IT. NOW IF GOD'S NOT DOING IT, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO FEAR. BUT IF WE UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURE RIGHT AND I THINK I'VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS TODAY. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE HOLY SPIRIT COME TO OUR LIVES IS THAT SO HE CAN PERFECT THE SAINTS. THANK GOD, YOU DIDN'T KNOW ME AS I USED TO BE. NOW THERE ARE SOME THAT GO BACK TO THE DAYS OF MY CHILDHOOD YOU SAW ME IN ALL OF MY ROUGH EDGES AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT I'M PRAYING YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT. I RECENTLY TOLD SOMEBODY THOSE THINGS OF MY PAST ARE UNDERNEATH THE BLOOD AND I'M GONNA LEAVE THEM THERE. I'M NOT GONNA GIVE THE DEVIL ANY AMMUNITION HE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT HE'LL USE AGAINST ME. THANK GOD THAT WAS YESTERDAY. NOW THANK GOD YOU DIDN'T KNOW ME IN THOSE DAYS. IT WOULD BE FAR BETTER FOR YOU TO KNOW ME TODAY BECAUSE, THANK GOD, I'M NOT WHAT I USED TO BE. NOW IF YOUR NOT TO HAPPY WITH THE WAY THAT I AM AND I KNOW THERE ARE, BECAUSE I'VE GOT THOSE LETTERS ON MY DESK. OH FOR EVERYONE THAT PRAISES US FOR THE JOB WE'RE DOING THERE'S ONE THAT CRITICIZES US FOR THE JOB WE'RE DOING. AND I'VE COME TO LEARN YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE SOME PEOPLE HAPPY. ENOUGH IS NEVER ENOUGH FOR SOME FOLK. AND I REALIZE THAT, I'VE LEARNED TO DEAL WITH THAT, I DON'T LET THAT ROB ME OF SLEEP. I DON'T LET THAT TROUBLE ME, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO PLEASE AND MAKE HAPPY. BUT YET, FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT SEE THINGS YOUR NOT TO HAPPY ABOUT BE PATIENT WITH ME. FOR YOU SEE GOD'S DOING FOR ME JUST WHAT HE'S DOING FOR YOU. IF I LIVE ANOTHER TEN YEARS, I CAN SAY TEN YEARS FROM NOW THANK GOD, I'M NOT WHAT I WAS TEN YEARS AGO. GOD HAS CHANGED US. THAT'S JUST WHAT HIS HOLY SPIRIT IS DOING WITHIN US. HE IS PERFECTING US. HE'S TAKING AWAY THOSE ROUGH EDGES. WE MAY HAVE STARTED OUT AN OLD LUMP OF COAL BUT HE'S MAKING US INTO A DIAMOND. SOMETIMES THAT TAKES PRESSURE. SOMETIMES THAT TAKES THE ELEMENTS AROUND US TO MOLD US AND SHAPE US AND TO CREATE SOMETHING OF BEAUTY WITHIN US. IF WE'LL BE PATIENT WITH GOD, GOD WILL WORK THAT WORK WITHIN US AND WE'LL BE VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESULT. NOT ONLY WILL WE BE PLEASED BUT OTHERS AROUND US WILL BE PLEASED FOR THEY'LL NO LONGER SEE US, BUT THEY WILL SEE THE CHRIST THAT IS WITHIN US. NOW I'M OUT OF TIME AND I CAN'T PURSUE THIS ANY LONGER. BUT I WANT TO STOP LONG ENOUGH IN THIS CLOSING MOMENT TO TELL YOU IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING TO ENDURE, EVEN NOW, BEFORE ANOTHER WEEK PASSES AND WE COME BACK TO TALK ABOUT THIS SOME MORE GIVE YOUR LOAD TO THE LORD. LET HIM CARRY YOUR BURDENS. LET HIM STRENGTHEN YOU AND HELP YOU TO BRING YOU THROUGH THIS THING THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO GO FROM HERE ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN'S GATES. I WANT TO PRAY FOR YOU TODAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, TODAY I ASK YOU TO REACH DOWN AND TOUCH EACH ONE THAT IS STRUGGLING LET YOUR HAND BE EXTENDED TO THEIR LIVES AND MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.