Allen Morehouse: I want to first thank Dennison Christy and the praise team.
Allen Morehouse: Wasn't that beautiful the music?
Allen Morehouse: And by the way, that theme song, Anchored in Christ, it was so beautiful here at night after night.
Allen Morehouse: um at camp meeting.
Allen Morehouse: I also want to s thank Baraka.
Allen Morehouse: What a beautiful prayer.
Allen Morehouse: And it takes courage to get up here and pray.
Allen Morehouse: And so thank you, Baraka.
Allen Morehouse: And of course thank you, Sarim, for sharing with us.
Allen Morehouse: um the scripture today.
Allen Morehouse: So if you know me, I love stories.
Allen Morehouse: And so if you've been to my Sabbath school class, you've probably heard different stories.
Allen Morehouse: And so we're going to start it off like that.
Allen Morehouse: Oh, before I do that, I want to remind you.
Allen Morehouse: Before we start the sermon, Olga has it out too.
Allen Morehouse: And it doesn't just have to be kids, it can be adults too.
Allen Morehouse: And there's some more here, but there's also some in the foyer.
Allen Morehouse: And whoever comes to me.
Allen Morehouse: I will give you a little gift.
Allen Morehouse: So please um fill it out.
Allen Morehouse: That way you're following along and hopefully
Allen Morehouse: you will uh gain a blessing out of that.
Allen Morehouse: So a church leader spent his last four years of school at the same school as a number of his cousins.
Allen Morehouse: And one of them
Allen Morehouse: Bill, a big, muscular, bound guy, and no one messed with Bill or would dare to mess with his younger relatives.
Allen Morehouse: But when a new boy arrived at school who didn't know Bill about Bill, he started a fight with young Alex.
Allen Morehouse: And it wasn't long before the new boy had the upper hand.
Allen Morehouse: He was also big.
Allen Morehouse: And with jabs and uppercuts and power punches, the smaller boy thought that this was going to end badly.
Allen Morehouse: As Alex tried to fend off that attack
Allen Morehouse: But then someone sent for Bill.
Allen Morehouse: And they said, Bill, someone is beating up on Alex.
Allen Morehouse: And from a distance, Alex could see Bill come running.
Allen Morehouse: He had always told him, when you need me, I will be there.
Allen Morehouse: Bill comes running across the football field yelling,
Allen Morehouse: I'm coming.
Allen Morehouse: Hold on, Alex.
Allen Morehouse: And just the knowledge that his cousin was on his way, the hope that Bill would get there before it was too late.
Allen Morehouse: Gave Alex strength and courage to fight a little longer and a little harder and hang in there.
Allen Morehouse: Bill came in and took care of business, Alex said.
Allen Morehouse: He took care of my enemy.
Allen Morehouse: He mopped him up and dressed him down.
Allen Morehouse: In a similar way, you can picture Jesus speeding across the Milky Way.
Allen Morehouse: And he's calling out, I'm coming.
Allen Morehouse: Hold on a little longer.
Allen Morehouse: In just a little while, he that shall come will come
Allen Morehouse: And he will not tarry.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus says that when he gets there, the last enemy that he will destroy and conquer is going to be death.
Allen Morehouse: And that means that he's going to take out some other enemies before then.
Allen Morehouse: The hope that Jesus is coming soon
Allen Morehouse: Gives us strength and courage to fight a little harder, to stay faithful and endure a little longer, because our loving Savior is on its way.
Allen Morehouse: If you would join me as I kneel here and pray as we open our sermon.
Allen Morehouse: Our gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, help me to be your humble vessel.
Allen Morehouse: That I may share your message, your word.
Allen Morehouse: Touch my lips, dear Jesus, and may people feel the Holy Spirit as they touch each one's heart in Jesus' name
Allen Morehouse: Amen.
Allen Morehouse: So th the sermon is Where Are You?
Allen Morehouse: Where are you?
Allen Morehouse: I'm coming soon.
Allen Morehouse: And Siram did a beautiful job of reading the scripture reading today.
Allen Morehouse: But I want to share it in the New Living Translation.
Allen Morehouse: Oh, and I have the clicker.
Allen Morehouse: I got to remember to do all these things.
Allen Morehouse: So
Allen Morehouse: And it's small font.
Allen Morehouse: I don't know if you can read it, but I'm going to read it here.
Allen Morehouse: Do not let your heart be troubled.
Allen Morehouse: Trust in God
Allen Morehouse: Trust in me.
Allen Morehouse: There is more than enough room in my father's house.
Allen Morehouse: If it were not so, would I have told you that I'm going to prepare a place for you?
Allen Morehouse: And when everything's ready, I will come and get you that you will always be with me where I am.
Allen Morehouse: You know, if you back up from John 14 and into John 13, you will realize that Jesus has just washed the disciples' feet.
Allen Morehouse: Moments earlier, Jesus had predicted that one of his disciples is going to betray him.
Allen Morehouse: He identifies that disciples as Judas.
Allen Morehouse: Judas Iscariot.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus loved Judas and longed to restore him, but Judas rejected his love.
Allen Morehouse: And in the desire of ages, it puts it this way: he tenderly included Judas.
Allen Morehouse: In the ministry of the dis to the disciples.
Allen Morehouse: But the last appeal of love was unheeded.
Allen Morehouse: Then the case of Judas.
Allen Morehouse: was decided, and the feet Jesus had washed went forth to the betrayer's work.
Allen Morehouse: Judas now leaves the group
Allen Morehouse: To carry out his evil plan at night.
Allen Morehouse: Unlike Nicodemus, Judas moves from the light, Jesus, the light of the world.
Allen Morehouse: into darkness, guided by Satan, the Prince of Darkness.
Allen Morehouse: Now Jesus pauses and addresses his disciples, little children
Allen Morehouse: Greek, that's technia.
Allen Morehouse: The term of endearment occurs only here in the Gospel of John, but it is frequent in 1 John in chapters 2 to 5.
Allen Morehouse: A similar expression, my children, was common in the mouths of Jewish teachers when addressing their students.
Allen Morehouse: And so we find in John chapter 4, we find Jesus gathered with his disciples, and only eleven remained in the upper room in Jerusalem, just before the Passover feast.
Allen Morehouse: The room is dimly lit by oil lamps, casting a warm glow on the faces of those present.
Allen Morehouse: The disciples are seated around a low table sharing a meal and engaging in a deep conversation
Allen Morehouse: With their beloved teacher.
Allen Morehouse: As they recline on cushions, Jesus begins to speak to them, sensing the weight of what is to come.
Allen Morehouse: He reassures them by saying, Do not let your heart be troubled
Allen Morehouse: You believe in God, believe also in me.
Allen Morehouse: His words are filled with love and compassion, seeking to comfort
Allen Morehouse: his followers as he prepares them for the impending his impending departure.
Allen Morehouse: The disciples, including Peter, Tom uh John, and Thomas, listen intently, their eyes fixed
Allen Morehouse: fixed on Jesus as he speaks about going to prepare a place for them in his father's house.
Allen Morehouse: The atmosphere is heavy
Allen Morehouse: with emotions.
Allen Morehouse: As the disciples grapple with the ideal of Jesus leaving them, yet in the midst of uncertainty, there is a sense of peace that emerges from their teacher
Allen Morehouse: offering them hope and salvation in the midst of the unknown.
Allen Morehouse: And I think I can read this better.
Allen Morehouse: But this is from the desire of ages.
Allen Morehouse: It says, But the Saviour's words to them were full of hope
Allen Morehouse: He knew that they were to be assailed by the enemy, and that Satan's craft is most successful against those who are depressed by difficulties.
Allen Morehouse: Hope.
Allen Morehouse: Bible prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope.
Allen Morehouse: And here's a couple stats.
Allen Morehouse: um that we're going to share.
Allen Morehouse: Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ's first advent.
Allen Morehouse: So both testaments are filled with reference to his second coming of Christ.
Allen Morehouse: One scholar estimated that there is over 1,845 references to the Christ's second coming
Allen Morehouse: And that's in the Old Testament alone.
Allen Morehouse: In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second Adon of Christ.
Allen Morehouse: It's an amazing one out of every 30 verses.
Allen Morehouse: You know, we read about it, we talk about it, and we see the signs, but do we have hope?
Allen Morehouse: Do we really believe that Jesus soon will return?
Allen Morehouse: Are we prepared?
Allen Morehouse: Can you hear Jesus saying to you, where are you?
Allen Morehouse: Do you tell others about this great event, like your friends, your family, and even your children?
Allen Morehouse: After church, where she had been taught about the second coming, a little girl quizzing her mother, says, Mommy, mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?
Allen Morehouse: The mother responded, Yes.
Allen Morehouse: Today?
Allen Morehouse: Yes.
Allen Morehouse: In a few minutes?
Allen Morehouse: Yes, dear
Allen Morehouse: Mommy, mommy, would you comb my hair?
Allen Morehouse: What a cute little girl might be your reaction, but the little girl had
Allen Morehouse: a response pleasing to God.
Allen Morehouse: She believed Jesus would come, and in a few minutes she wanted to make sure she looked her best.
Allen Morehouse: She had faith.
Allen Morehouse: Do we have that same faith?
Allen Morehouse: You know, I suppose everyone that's here worshiping with us today here at Mesa Palms in the sanctuary, and those that are watching online believes in heaven.
Allen Morehouse: Most, I imagine, are longing to go there some day.
Allen Morehouse: The thought of going to a better place to live with God has been on people's minds for thousands of years, longing to be with our Savior.
Allen Morehouse: Heaven, a place of perfection and peace in the presence of God.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus urged the disciples not to lose faith and hope.
Allen Morehouse: facing his soon departure or death, because there was many Monet in his father's house.
Allen Morehouse: This Greek word is sometimes translated as mansions
Allen Morehouse: Which comes from the Latin Manseo Manseo.
Allen Morehouse: By the way, I had these all written out to pronounce them.
Allen Morehouse: Whose meaning is almost equivalent to Monet, dwelling place.
Allen Morehouse: So when you visualize and see heaven, what do you think of?
Allen Morehouse: What do you see?
Allen Morehouse: Streets of gold, pearls, and diamonds, a brilliant city filled with many homes, a big table,
Allen Morehouse: A garden?
Allen Morehouse: A river?
Allen Morehouse: Trees?
Allen Morehouse: Filled with many different fruits.
Allen Morehouse: How about animals?
Allen Morehouse: How about elephants and giraffes, hippos and gazelles, tigers and bears, dogs and cats, lions and lambs, all together
Allen Morehouse: How about our friends and our family?
Allen Morehouse: How about Bible patriarchs like Adam and Moses and Abraham and Peter and John and Paul?
Allen Morehouse: and a host of angels.
Allen Morehouse: And of course the centerpiece, Jesus.
Allen Morehouse: Wow.
Allen Morehouse: Can you see it?
Allen Morehouse: Can you see heaven and how beautiful and amazing it is?
Allen Morehouse: You know, the Apostle Paul writes it this way.
Allen Morehouse: In 1 Corinthians 2.
Allen Morehouse: 9, it says, I has not seen
Allen Morehouse: Nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him, our home
Allen Morehouse: In heaven with God, with Jesus.
Allen Morehouse: He is preparing a place for you and for me.
Allen Morehouse: And guess what?
Allen Morehouse: It's almost finished.
Allen Morehouse: I'm gonna take a sip of water.
Allen Morehouse: Gets dry up here.
Allen Morehouse: Anyway, the next story
Allen Morehouse: Doug Batchelor shared.
Allen Morehouse: And it's an amazing fact, but it is a story that you may have heard about.
Allen Morehouse: And it's in the late 1950s that Westbow family adopted a lion cub named Little Tike.
Allen Morehouse: After he had it had been attacked by its mother at a city zoo, the family nursed little tyke back to health with milk.
Allen Morehouse: She began to gain strength, but when they tried to feed the lion with
Allen Morehouse: They normally eat raw meat.
Allen Morehouse: Amazingly the lion
Allen Morehouse: The little line only wanted vegetables, grains, eggs, and milk.
Allen Morehouse: Of course, people said little type could not live long unless he ate meat, his diet.
Allen Morehouse: So they put a little blood in her milk, but she wouldn't drink it.
Allen Morehouse: She actually was totally revolted by meat.
Allen Morehouse: Still, this very peaceful lion ended up
Allen Morehouse: Living a full life, growing to a full statue, without ever eating animal flesh, a vegetarian lion.
Allen Morehouse: Can you imagine?
Allen Morehouse: It is it would be the most absurd, it would be almost absurd to think about this could ever happen.
Allen Morehouse: But guess what?
Allen Morehouse: The Bible boldly promises that in New Earth this will be the norm.
Allen Morehouse: In Isaiah
Allen Morehouse: Isaiah 65, 25, it says, the lamb and the wolf shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like ox.
Allen Morehouse: So when you go to the zoo and you see straw out there, see if the line touches it
Allen Morehouse: You know, throughout the Bible, we find that God hoping for a committed, loving relationship with his creation.
Allen Morehouse: God created man and woman in his own image.
Allen Morehouse: He could have spoken into existence, but he chose to be more personal and intimate in his creation of man.
Allen Morehouse: And I don't know where brought- Oh, he's still there
Allen Morehouse: Thank you, Braca.
Allen Morehouse: I've invited Braca to share in this illustration.
Allen Morehouse: And we read in Genesis 2.
Allen Morehouse: 7 that the Lord formed man.
Allen Morehouse: of the ground and breathe into his nostril the breath of life.
Allen Morehouse: I can envision.
Allen Morehouse: Thank you.
Allen Morehouse: Hang in there for a second.
Allen Morehouse: I don't know if people looked what's underneath there.
Allen Morehouse: But I can envision Jesus or God reaching down and taking dirt.
Allen Morehouse: And molding and making and a person, a man, he touched
Allen Morehouse: And he reached down to be intimate with man.
Allen Morehouse: He touched man as he's forming him.
Allen Morehouse: And
Allen Morehouse: Remember in the upper room, Jesus also knelt down again, and he washed the disciples' feet
Allen Morehouse: He had to touch their feet that was probably covered with dirt.
Allen Morehouse: He reached down and he wiped and washed their feet, including Judas.
Allen Morehouse: But after he formed man, and by the way, my wife helped me with this.
Allen Morehouse: Actually she did it.
Allen Morehouse: We were created in his image.
Allen Morehouse: Now, I tried to pick this little character up, and he sometimes falls apart, had to put a leg back on earlier.
Allen Morehouse: But does that look like Baraka?
Allen Morehouse: Well, it has two arms, two legs, it has a head, it has eyes and a mouth.
Allen Morehouse: God was intimate when he uh
Allen Morehouse: When he created man.
Allen Morehouse: Anyway, thank you.
Allen Morehouse: You can keep that if you want.
Allen Morehouse: Thank you, Baraka, for sharing with that.
Allen Morehouse: You know, but God didn't stop there.
Allen Morehouse: God didn't stop there.
Allen Morehouse: In fact, as we read on, he now gets close, very close to man.
Allen Morehouse: And with his own mouth, his lips touch his nose
Allen Morehouse: And then he breathes into man the breath of life.
Allen Morehouse: It is the kiss of God
Allen Morehouse: Man is now alive, a personal, intimate connection with his creator, with our creator.
Allen Morehouse: God's creation is awesome.
Allen Morehouse: Masterpiece.
Allen Morehouse: The earth, the Garden of Eden, the animals, the man and woman, and even s the Sabbath.
Allen Morehouse: A perfect picture, a picture of paradise, no flaws, no defects.
Allen Morehouse: It was perfect in every way.
Allen Morehouse: And we read about that in Genesis 1:31.
Allen Morehouse: It says, Then God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good.
Allen Morehouse: But the ultimate close relationship with the Creator, God, and humans, Adam and Eve, was now broken, destroyed by sin, a separation that was never God's intention or plan.
Allen Morehouse: Sin had changed forever the relationship between God and humanity and between husband and wife.
Allen Morehouse: At the very beginning, God did not forsake man.
Allen Morehouse: In fact, Paul writes in Romans 8 that nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Allen Morehouse: He never stops loving his children.
Allen Morehouse: And he came searching, searching for Adam and Eve as they hid in the garden.
Allen Morehouse: They felt that separation.
Allen Morehouse: Something wasn't right.
Allen Morehouse: God called out to Adam and Eve, where are you?
Allen Morehouse: And he longed to bring them back into a close personal relationship with him to restore, to save and restore what was lost.
Allen Morehouse: And the next
Allen Morehouse: Text is found in Genesis.
Allen Morehouse: Genesis 3.
Allen Morehouse: 9 says, Then the Lord called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?
Allen Morehouse: A loving God seeking his children.
Allen Morehouse: He has continued that search throughout humanity, starting back in the Eden.
Allen Morehouse: He is wanting to restore us back to the image of God.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus came at his first advent as a baby boy in Bethlehem.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus' mission was to rescue.
Allen Morehouse: His mission is the same to you and me today.
Allen Morehouse: He lived here on earth and died on the cross to save us from our sins.
Allen Morehouse: We find in Luke 19, 10.
Allen Morehouse: It says, For the Son of Man has come to save and to save that which was lost.
Allen Morehouse: But Satan
Allen Morehouse: Satan had a different mission.
Allen Morehouse: The devil seeks to destroy, and he wants to keep
Allen Morehouse: He wants to keep us from hearing and answering Jesus' call.
Allen Morehouse: The Apostle Paul, excuse me, the Apostle Peter shares a warning to be on alert for the devil.
Allen Morehouse: It says
Allen Morehouse: Be sober.
Allen Morehouse: Be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Allen Morehouse: God's final and ultimate plan is to bring us home.
Allen Morehouse: A home with no more sin and no more separation.
Allen Morehouse: From the Father and His children.
Allen Morehouse: The day will be a glorious day as Jesus returns in the clouds as King of Kings and Lord of Lord.
Allen Morehouse: But not everyone will answer that call from Jesus.
Allen Morehouse: Where are you?
Allen Morehouse: It is your choice.
Allen Morehouse: It is our choice.
Allen Morehouse: He doesn't want any to be lost.
Allen Morehouse: In fact, we read
Allen Morehouse: In 2 Peter 3:9, the Lord does not delay his promise as some understand delays, but is patient with you, long-suffering, the King James Version says.
Allen Morehouse: But not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.
Allen Morehouse: God wants to save and restore us back to his family.
Allen Morehouse: He seeks to redeem us.
Allen Morehouse: As his own children, as his own child.
Allen Morehouse: And in fact, he calls us by your name.
Allen Morehouse: He calls you by your own name.
Allen Morehouse: And that's found
Allen Morehouse: In Isaiah, fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name.
Allen Morehouse: You are mine.
Allen Morehouse: What a personal God!
Allen Morehouse: That He knows us, that He formed us.
Allen Morehouse: That he loves us.
Allen Morehouse: He calls us by name.
Allen Morehouse: Whoops, went too far.
Allen Morehouse: Jimmy Moda, who was raised in a devout hindu home in Leicester.
Allen Morehouse: England enraged his family by coming to Christ and converting to Christianity.
Allen Morehouse: He told them his sins had been forgiven because he had found God.
Allen Morehouse: Which God?
Allen Morehouse: shouted his father.
Allen Morehouse: It's Jesus Christ, replied Jimmy.
Allen Morehouse: Actually he came and found me.
Allen Morehouse: He died on the cross for my sins, and I am a Christian.
Allen Morehouse: His mother fainted
Allen Morehouse: His father threw him out of the house, and his brother Jay prayed for the gods to kill him.
Allen Morehouse: We would mourn his death, but at least our family would not be dishonored.
Allen Morehouse: Jay, a brilliant student working on his PhD in parasitology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, disowned his brother and refused to talk to him.
Allen Morehouse: And in parting, Jimmy said
Allen Morehouse: Jay, if you are ever desperate and no one is there to help you, remember Jesus loves you, and his hand is on your life.
Allen Morehouse: Call to him, and he will save you
Allen Morehouse: Jay was furious, but Jimmy began praying earnestly for him.
Allen Morehouse: Shortly Jay began having disturbing dreams, and it was as if I was awake in my bed in
Allen Morehouse: At three o'clock in the morning, when suddenly a brilliant light breaks through the roof and the ceiling in my bedroom, and in that light I see a cloud
Allen Morehouse: descending from heaven and bearing three awesome, fiery man-like creatures.
Allen Morehouse: The first blew a trumpet so loud that I was sure the whole world will hear its thunderous
Allen Morehouse: Sound.
Allen Morehouse: I knew what was coming was universal in consequences.
Allen Morehouse: The second creature cried out, Prepare ye, for the Lord is coming to reap the harvest.
Allen Morehouse: Then the third, the third creature cried out, or swung a scythe over the earth and cried, Now the earth is ready for harvest
Allen Morehouse: I tried to wake up from the dream and I cried out.
Allen Morehouse: N this see, excuse me.
Allen Morehouse: I tried to wake up from the dream and I felt I was going to have a heart attack from the sheer fright that I was experiencing.
Allen Morehouse: But I could not
Allen Morehouse: Then in the middle of the cloud I noticed a person who looked completely different.
Allen Morehouse: The brilliant light was coming from him.
Allen Morehouse: His face shone so radiant that there was no features clear except for his eyes.
Allen Morehouse: And that looked like blazing flames of fire.
Allen Morehouse: A robe went from his neck to his feet.
Allen Morehouse: which was like a white hot metal.
Allen Morehouse: He was dreadful in his beauty and terrible in his splendor.
Allen Morehouse: And as he descended I look he looked at me.
Allen Morehouse: I was completely
Allen Morehouse: undone and terrified.
Allen Morehouse: I could not bear to look at him any longer, so I turned my head, and to my amazement, there beside me was my brother, Jimmy.
Allen Morehouse: Who was not scared at all?
Allen Morehouse: In fact, his face was joyous, and he was reaching out as to embrace this figure.
Allen Morehouse: When I gained the courage to look at him again, he addressed me saying, Jay!
Allen Morehouse: What are you going to do when this happens?
Allen Morehouse: You know, as we've been reading
Allen Morehouse: And looking into John 14, 1 through 3, a powerful reminder of hope and assurance we have in Christ, it calls us to trust in God's plan.
Allen Morehouse: Even when we face uncertainties, Jesus is preparing a place for you, a future filled with his presence and peace.
Allen Morehouse: Remember Jesus' words.
Allen Morehouse: Remember Jesus' words in John fourteen.
Allen Morehouse: It says, Let not your heart be troubled.
Allen Morehouse: And I go to prepare a place for you in my father's house.
Allen Morehouse: And in his promise
Allen Morehouse: I will come again and take us to live forever.
Allen Morehouse: Let us all be ready for that great event.
Allen Morehouse: And respond to his call.
Allen Morehouse: Where are you?
Allen Morehouse: Three times
Allen Morehouse: Jesus says in the last chapter of Revelation, Revelation 22, I am coming quickly.
Allen Morehouse: Or I'm coming soon, depending on the version you have.
Allen Morehouse: In Revelation 21, the Apostle John shares a beautiful scene.
Allen Morehouse: of the holy city of the New Jerusalem our home with a promise from God, no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
Allen Morehouse: And as I read it, it says, I heard a loud voice from heaven
Allen Morehouse: Saying, Look, God's home is now among his people.
Allen Morehouse: He will live with them, and they will be his people.
Allen Morehouse: God himself will be with them.
Allen Morehouse: He will wipe away
Allen Morehouse: every tear from their eyes and there will be no more pain, no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
Allen Morehouse: All these things have gone away or forever.
Allen Morehouse: Gone forever.
Allen Morehouse: You know, when I think of that, and that's one of the most beautiful promises, we've all had loved ones that have passed away.
Allen Morehouse: But there'll come a day when they are resurrected in Jesus at his second coming, and we will live with God forever.
Allen Morehouse: Alan White talks about this in the desire of ages.
Allen Morehouse: It talks about Jesus coming here
Allen Morehouse: But it says, here where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity, where the King of glory lived and suffered and died.
Allen Morehouse: Here, where he will make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with man.
Allen Morehouse: He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them
Allen Morehouse: And be their God.
Allen Morehouse: Don't you want to go there?
Allen Morehouse: What a beautiful thing.
Allen Morehouse: So as we continue the story, Jay, of the um Jemmy and Jay, Jay, what are you going to do when this happens?
Allen Morehouse: Then everything vanished, and I woke up.
Allen Morehouse: It took Jay an hour to calm down and pray for understanding
Allen Morehouse: A few days later, Jimmy called, hearing of Jay's dream, and said, Jay, what you saw is the second coming of Christ.
Allen Morehouse: Can I send you a Bible so you can read about it?
Allen Morehouse: Jay hung up.
Allen Morehouse: But more dreams disturbed his sleep, and one night he awoke horrified, realizing he was dreaming of praying to Jesus.
Allen Morehouse: In time, Jay received his doctorate and was awarded a prestigious research fellowship.
Allen Morehouse: In Japan.
Allen Morehouse: But in Japan, his mental state deteriorated, and one night standing on the balcony, he nearly leaped to his death.
Allen Morehouse: But at the last moment he pushed himself away
Allen Morehouse: From the railing, vowing to find out if Jesus was in fact the living God.
Allen Morehouse: For two years God pursued
Allen Morehouse: him and every wok awaking moment Jay felt the wrath of God hovering over him and at length
Allen Morehouse: He went into his kitchen and he climbed and he reached into his cupboard and dug behind things and found a dust-covered old Bible
Allen Morehouse: And began to read the gospels.
Allen Morehouse: And when he got to the Lord's words from the cross, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
Allen Morehouse: Jay realized that he was a sinner that Christ had died for.
Allen Morehouse: He prayed for forgiveness and gave his heart to Jesus, and the burden of guilt was lifted.
Allen Morehouse: Jay grew quickly and moved moving to uh Glasgow, joined the church, and in time began teaching and preaching.
Allen Morehouse: Sharing the gospel that he once so fervently resisted.
Allen Morehouse: That shows that we have a God that will continue searching for us.
Allen Morehouse: Where are you?
Allen Morehouse: You know, as I prepared for this sermon, I I heard a song, and I know I talked to Dan Simmons, and he said he sang that song, and I've heard it before.
Allen Morehouse: But it's a song called Come, Jesus, Come.
Allen Morehouse: And I was driving and I heard the song on the radio and it was Cece Wynitz.
Allen Morehouse: She sang the song with such strong emotions.
Allen Morehouse: I was touched by the music and the words to the song.
Allen Morehouse: And so I started Googling and and YouTubing and trying to find out
Allen Morehouse: And I discovered the song's author.
Allen Morehouse: They were co-authors, is Stephen and Tara McGurdy.
Allen Morehouse: I contacted Tara and received permission to show
Allen Morehouse: Steve's YouTube video and share his amazing testimony.
Allen Morehouse: Behind the music is the story of a radical redemption.
Allen Morehouse: Growing up, the son of a traveling evangelist, Stephen, witnessed deep hypocrisy at home.
Allen Morehouse: His father, a successful preacher, loved by many
Allen Morehouse: Would come home and beat his mother.
Allen Morehouse: The man who would praise God in the morning would punch his mother in the evening.
Allen Morehouse: And despite his Christian upbringing, Stephen
Allen Morehouse: At a young age was driven into alcohol and drug addictions for eleven years
Allen Morehouse: One night at three o'clock, while reading The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, with drugs on the table besides him, God showed up and everything changed.
Allen Morehouse: He was touched
Allen Morehouse: He was forgiven.
Allen Morehouse: Stephen never used drugs again.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus never stopped searching and asking, where are you?
Allen Morehouse: Jesus never stopped loving Stephen.
Allen Morehouse: He never stops loving you and me.
Allen Morehouse: And when you listen to the song that I'm about to play,
Allen Morehouse: You will hear Stephen sing this song with so much passion.
Allen Morehouse: And as you watch the video and see the images and the pictures of all the evil and the bad things in our world,
Allen Morehouse: Know that Jesus' promise is sure and true.
Allen Morehouse: Come, Jesus, come
Allen Morehouse: I hope that that is everyone's prayer today.
Allen Morehouse: Come, Jesus, come.
Allen Morehouse: See if this works.
Stephen McWhirter: Sometimes I fall to my knees and pray.
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus, come for me the day.
Stephen McWhirter: Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna pray
Stephen McWhirter: I'm holding on things who hope you won't say
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus come we've been waiting so
Stephen McWhirter: For the day you veto the heal of me look and ride every wall
Stephen McWhirter: We need you right now.
Stephen McWhirter: Coming to this around
Stephen McWhirter: Deep down and know swirl it in.
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus, come
Stephen McWhirter: There'll be no change when Jesus comes.
Stephen McWhirter: But today be the day she could cross all the way
Stephen McWhirter: And the strongest say all will
Stephen McWhirter: In the power of his dream, Jesus come
Stephen McWhirter: We've been waiting for Lord for the day of turn
Stephen McWhirter: The heel living wall now
Stephen McWhirter: Coming to me surround Deep down and for Swirling
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus.
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus
Stephen McWhirter: One day we're gone.
Stephen McWhirter: And we'll stand face to face
Stephen McWhirter: Come and lay it all down Cause it might be today
Stephen McWhirter: Time is run.
Stephen McWhirter: The past will be won.
Stephen McWhirter: The rivers is green
Stephen McWhirter: Jesus come on.
Stephen McWhirter: We've been waiting for Lord
Stephen McWhirter: Who did you meet her?
Stephen McWhirter: Right in the
Stephen McWhirter: And deep down and low, this worthy thee.
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus, come
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus, come.
Stephen McWhirter: Come, Jesus, come
Stephen McWhirter: Come, come, Jesus.
Allen Morehouse: You know, when I heard that song
Allen Morehouse: I thought it goes with the sermon and I wanted to use it.
Allen Morehouse: That's why I reached out to um
Allen Morehouse: their website and and contacted um one of the co authors and and asked permission.
Allen Morehouse: Because I was actually thinking of having my wife singing and I didn't know that Daniel sang it too and and it would have been beautiful either way.
Allen Morehouse: But the images that are displayed on that show what we're living in today.
Allen Morehouse: And our prayer should be, come, Jesus, come.
Allen Morehouse: You know, as the song says, this world is not our home.
Allen Morehouse: We are just traveling through.
Allen Morehouse: We need to fix our eyes and our hearts upward to heaven.
Allen Morehouse: We need to look to Jesus, our salvation, and he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Allen Morehouse: Let's go home and leave this world full of sin.
Allen Morehouse: pain, death, and destruction.
Allen Morehouse: You know, I came across a quote, and I may have used this in one of my sermons before.
Allen Morehouse: But it's by John Wesley.
Allen Morehouse: It says, the spirit in the heart of the true believer says with earnest desire, Come, Lord Jesus.
Allen Morehouse: Almost the very last scripture in the Bible.
Allen Morehouse: Is Revelation 2020, and it says, He who is a faithful witness to all these things says, yes.
Allen Morehouse: Yes, I'm coming soon.
Allen Morehouse: Amen.
Allen Morehouse: Come, Lord Jesus.
Allen Morehouse: You know
Allen Morehouse: My son's a pastor, our son's a pastor, and he has helped me over the years to prepare sermons and things.
Allen Morehouse: And one of the things that he said, Dad.
Allen Morehouse: When you preach, don't ever not give a call.
Allen Morehouse: And so every time I preach, I've given a call.
Allen Morehouse: It's not so much that you're coming forward.
Allen Morehouse: But it's a call that Jesus sees.
Allen Morehouse: And the call is if you want to answer God's call and commit to Him this very moment, respond to His prompting.
Allen Morehouse: Where are you?
Allen Morehouse: I'm coming soon.
Allen Morehouse: I invite you to stand with me right now.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus wants a close personal relationship with you and me, and he has a deep desire.
Allen Morehouse: As we shared in creation, he touched.
Allen Morehouse: At the upper room, he touched.
Allen Morehouse: Jesus wants to be our personal Savior.
Allen Morehouse: He wants his children back in his family.
Allen Morehouse: He wants to bring them home.
Allen Morehouse: So today Jesus invites you, come tomorrow, tomorrow may be too late.
Allen Morehouse: Don't wait.
Allen Morehouse: Come.
Allen Morehouse: And I'm going to close with prayer.
Allen Morehouse: And I'm going to read the last
Allen Morehouse: verses the last uh in the last chapter as I pray and close with prayer.
Allen Morehouse: So please join me.
Allen Morehouse: It says, may the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's holy people.
Allen Morehouse: Dear God, dear Jesus, what amazing God that you are, that you are so personal, that you wanted to be with us from the very beginning.
Allen Morehouse: And nothing can separate us from that love of yours.
Allen Morehouse: We can separate.
Allen Morehouse: But Lord, we know that you long to bring us back and restore us back to the image that you once created us at the very beginning.
Allen Morehouse: to bring us your children back to home, to our home in heaven.
Allen Morehouse: Lord bless every single person that is watching and listening and may they
Allen Morehouse: their hearts be touched.
Allen Morehouse: May your Holy Spirit fill them.
Allen Morehouse: And as those that stood making a commitment to hear your call, help us to continue with that commitment.
Allen Morehouse: As we look for your soon coming in Jesus' name, amen