Baptist Men's Day

I talked about it and thought about greatly about who to ask to speak for her medicine today and and brother Joe come to know us here about I guess six months ago, maybe a little longer and ever since he's been on board. He's been a part of my Baptist men's group and he's taking a position. So he's every time we have a service or get together. He'd always bringing devotion for something is off of what more appropriate person to speak for a baptism and that our own chapter 2 geometry to come and speak to his brother.

I certainly do appreciate this opportunity to to speak to this church, even though I've not been here long. I never have been uncomfortable in God's house.

little bit nervous now because it's personal.

Why did he first asked me to speak I asked him on what he said. Well Arrow theme is Walking with the man. and you just but the words that God has laid on your heart. And something that I have never done really is give my testimony.

I didn't want to do it now.

But everybody knows it's not here Christian. A lot of times you were going to be taken out of your comfort zone and done thing do things that you really don't want to do.

I've got some scripture. That has always meant a lot to me since I became a Christian. It is Matthew 4:18 19.

And it says that Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and he saw two brothers. Simon Peter called Peter and Andrew Castanet into the sea. where they were fishermen and Jesus said you come follow me. You walk with me.

And I'll make you Fishers of Men. Never really understood what that meant.

Because you see I'm I'm up here representing two people.

The first was the boy named Joe. That's the first one. born 1943 my parents had 6 kids.

When I was 9 years old my parents separated. And my mother took the three oldest kids. And left the three youngest kids with Dad. I was one of the three youngest kids left.

and from that time on I never really felt like I belonged anywhere.

You get to thinking about when your own parents? Don't care for you.

He had shorter. Marshall who you are and I found out a long time ago that your childhood can do one of two things. You can eat with Mikey. Or I can break you. And I chose to have my childhood make money.

Was not brought up in a Christian home.

parents

Do not. Take lightly the responsibility of having your children in God's house. at an early age

I'm so grateful. This church has is Jan and has already is a youth director for so many years to mold the lives of those kids cuz I'm a first-hand experience that if a child left on his own he'll be left on his own. And not have any guidance.

Is all the hard for them? to become a Christian

I never put set foot in a church.

But I remember when I was 10 years old.

I was uptown.

And a man came up to me and offered me tickets to the Rogers theater for a free movie and for a kid and never had any money that was like winning the lottery. A free ticket to a movie I never been to.

I found out later that our church had rented the Rogers theater to show a picture about the life of Jesus.

So I went to the movies for the first time. And it started showing the life of Jesus. And all the good works that he did to me folks at 10. That was real. I was thinking he's a good guy. I like him.

And then as the movie went alone. The scribes and the Pharisees had him arrested.

And they started beating on him. I'm thinking why are they doing that to this good man. He never heard anybody.

Where are they doing this?

And they took him before Pilots.

empowered asked a question

What is truth?

And the hair on the back of my neck stood up. And my hands started sweating. And I started shaking.

And I got up and I ran out of that theater. What is truth?

For years, I curse that man. For giving me that ticket.

I spent a lot of time alone as a child.

Andover And over again. I kept hearing that. What is stressed?

You see I didn't feel like I was wanted. I didn't feel like anybody love me.

People who know me back when? Ask me how I survived my childhood.

I told him I never broke rule number one.

rule number one trust nobody

and you'll be okay.

UCI built up a wall of protection

that no one could get to me.

I wore black all black and High School. Does it fit my mood?

I had a night in a good Christian lady in her eighties went to church every time they open the door.

And every time she saw me she come up and give me a big bear hug and said Joe. When are you going to quit running from God?

You say God has a plan for you Joe.

And I know in my heart when you finally give up. He has got great plans for you.

And I'm praying for you Joe.

I avoided her like she had the plague.

She had a radar when it came to me. I was in the Ingles grocery shopping and I saw a Nana and I got behind my grocery cart.

I didn't want her to see me cuz I know she was going to tell me the same thing that she told me every time she saw me I'm praying for you. When are you going to get what God? When can. Start using you?

You see I would have had two broke rule number one. if I did that

and you never ever broke rule number one.

In 1960 at Shelby High School. I saw this cute girl. And I went and asked her for a date.

She asked me if I was in church.

I said what I got to do with me asking you for a date. She said I've never had a boyfriend before.

And the Only Rule my parents made about me dating his I can't date nobody unless they're in church. So in 1960, I started going to Beaver Dam to date that good-looking gal.

all the wrong reasons

But the rest of the story of Paul Harvey says that's not the end of the story got fixed it.

We got married.

when we were 19 had a son when we were 20.

and in church I read John 8:32.

And Jesus said to them you follow me. I'll make you Fishers of man. But you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free. and I said there's the answer to that question that I had at 10.

If I had stayed to the end of the movie. I could have saved myself 20 years of Heartache. I got my answer then. In case you don't know it's the truth is not spelled truth. It's spelled j e s u s.

So I started going to church.

And I started reading the Bible.

And I still had questions about what the preacher said.

One of the question was how can I God I have never seen love me.

when my own parents did

has stuff in it.

You see everyone I had ever trusted in my life, except my wife and my son. And let me down.

There was a rose reason. Pharrell number one

you see I went to church out of habit. Do you?

I went to my wife. I said honey. Why am I not happy?

When I was a kid, I could leave home for 6 weeks and go back. Nobody asked me where you been.

I slept under a bridge in 8 out of a garbage can.

And I had a home.

a child a wife money to buy cars

the one am I not happy?

My wife said Joe, you're a good man.

You've been a good father. He's got a good husband.

But you've left got out.

Sapporo to give God a try

So I got serious about 10 t-shirt not out of habit. Not out of Duty.

And I went looking for Jesus.

A surprising thing happened when I Found Jesus. He was not lost I was.

You see when the God put a breathing so down and each and every one of us. He put part of him as us. We became a living soul.

And he put a? Down in each and every one of us that only he can answer. We try to find it money cars things alcohol drugs and when we get it that question mark is still on answered. And that question more was still unanswered in May.

And I had to find that answer to have peace.

So I said God you speak to me.

You show me proof. And I'll believe in you. He never did.

Then one Saturday my wife is going to take her son and go to a party they had been invited to and I was going to stay home and cut grass.

So I crank up my Snapper lawn mower not cut the front yard and I'll go around to the back and I get to thinking about my childhood in that? And what my wife said about trying.

And I turned to Snapper off and I knelt beside it in my backyard. And I said God if there is a God.

I'm tired of running.

I'm not much. But here I am.

And I know I have been asking you for proof all these years and just forget that.

I'm going to accept you just on the face. I'm Center.

And how they can save you.

Voice in my head says love of people.

And I like that out loud.

I said you got to be getting

You say you've asked me to do the one thing I cannot do.

I don't even love me.

but I heard she

and that's what I'll do.

3 on Saturday evening, I went to church.

When the new Beaver Dam was the old Beaver Dam.

I went to the church. The door was locked and I knelt beside it.

That's a God here. I am. I heard you.

I've got some requests.

I need a tender heart.

I'm going to love people.

I need you to provide love for me.

I need you to forgive me for the loss.

word of warning

be very careful what you ask God for. He just might give it to you.

The next thing I did I went dinette nurse.

I went to Saint Agnes.

Hey Nana, was 80 something years old was teaching her stuff to play piano out of a baptismal. The lady I had a boy doll my life.

She opened up the door took one. Look at me through her hands up through her arms around me and said praise God it finally happened.

now God can use you.

And I borrowed that Baptist Hymnal took it home. And memorize the words to the song Amazing Grace.

Cuz everything I have ever done in my life since that time is all because of God's Amazing Grace.

He gave me what I asked for and much much. mower

I have been following the man.

And I found out very quickly.

That you cannot love God.

You see I asked God for love.

And he filled my heart so full of love. I became a hugger.

And I had to do something with it on my heart was going to bust.

And I started loving people. And God fight a trick on me.

When I started loving people they started loving me back.

And I ended up with ten times more love than what I had when I started.

So God gave me what I asked for.

And he even gave me another family.

blasphemy I didn't condition.

God is good.

What about your? You got one? God put it there.

Do you have your answer?

God has an answer for you.

But you have to ask for it. You're never going to have peace until you get that? Answered take my word for it.

My wife gave me a good advice when I asked her try God. I'm just passed it on.

You want that? You want that piece?

Tara's got it. What a blessing her testimony was.

I could spend a week staying up here before you. Telling all the truth that God has a give me.

I want to shout it to the rooftops what God has done through me around me and in spite of me.

We all have a testimony like Artis the artist has been people to give their testimony. What a blessing it's been that God is alive and God is well and he is working among his people.

You want proof from God quit asking for it. He'll give it to you.

I'm still a sinner.

But I'm a sinner saved by grace.

And at that door that Saturday I made got a lot of promises.

You see there's thousands of promises in this book. And God will keep every one of them.

And with God's help the promises I made that Saturday evening. I will keep perfume I'm one of them. Why did this to my dying day? I Will Follow the Man.

And I will follow the man to the end of my days.

And I will end up at the Throne of God.

with Jesus by my side

and he will say to the father.

I claimed him.

Scotch Monday, they leave the side of Snappy Snapper lawn mower. He claimed, Maine. and got the answer to that question we put in you.

You see when I was 10. Jesus was there. I just didn't know it.

Thank you for the opportunity to use telling you what God has done in my life.

And may God bless you. And keep you. And give you peace.

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