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>> Be present in this men's day of service, oh God. May thy spirit be upon all that is said and done. May the pursuit of common aims bind us together in genuine and warm companionship, that harmony and goodwill prevail.

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Almighty God, instead of trusting in thy wisdom, we depended only upon our own understanding and fell into grievous error. Instead of depending upon the righteousness,

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we relied upon our own goodness and yielded to temptation. Instead of relying upon their power and might, we were confident in our own strength, only to find that we could not carry our burden.

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Now we confess that we are not so wise, so good, or so strong. We turn our eyes to thee, O God, who only our refuge and strength. We come to thee not because we deserve their blessings

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and help, but because of our sore need of thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. [ Pause ] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[Music] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[Music] [MUSIC] Every day and all, let the spirit be with thee. ♪ Give you, save you now ♪

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♪ Keep my heart and keep my soul ♪ ♪ Keep my soul, I pray ♪ ♪ In that world to stand I pray ♪ ♪ Lead me all the way ♪

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♪ In my weakness be my strength ♪ ♪ Sweetness be my strength ♪ ♪ In my trials, O Lord ♪ ♪ Be Thou near me all the day ♪

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me all the day. Hear my every call. Heed my call and keep my hand. Keep my soul, I pray.

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Keep my tongue to sing thy praise. ♪ Lead me on the way ♪ ♪ Lead me not to walk alone ♪ ♪ Blessed are you and I ♪

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♪ Let thy spirit ♪ ♪ Hold with me ♪ ♪ I'll not sin ♪ ♪ I cry ♪

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Keep my heart and keep my breath. Keep my soul and faith. Keep my joy to speak thy praise. ♪ Keep me on the way ♪

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♪ Lord, I want to live for Thee ♪ ♪ Every day and hour ♪ Let the spirit be with me in its saving power. [MUSIC]

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♪ And keep my soul, I pray ♪ ♪ Keep my tongue to speak thy praise ♪ ♪ Keep thee all the way ♪ ♪ All the way ♪

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♪ Keep my hope ♪ ♪ And keep my faith ♪ ♪ Keep my soul ♪ ♪ I pray ♪

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♪ Keep thy law ♪ ♪ To speak thy praise ♪ ♪ Keep me on ♪ ♪ The way ♪

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- Amen. - Amen. Amen. (crickets chirping) (rain falling)

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(bell ringing) (crickets chirping) (crickets chirping) (crickets chirping)

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(silence) (crickets chirping) [Silence] Welcome to Ebenezer's annual Men's Day program.

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We're very happy to have as many of you that are attended today. And we're very happy to have not only the brothers or the men of the community, but the sisters of the community. And we're very happy to have you here worshipping with us and enjoying our program.

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And in sticking with the program, the kind of men God needs. You will see the people that are appearing on the program are the type of people that God needs, and they are doing the work for God's service.

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Again, welcome to our annual Men's Day program. Amen. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)

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(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)

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[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] ♪♪ ♪♪

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♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

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♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

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♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ] [audience murmurs]

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Among us is a very special group of people. These are our visitors. As a visitor, you have touched us with your presence here in our church. We have grown in Christ as a result of your presence.

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To meet a friend in our church is like the delight of a rain after long droughts. Continue to bring your rain and your friendliness. You're quite welcome in our church, and we're happy to have you with us. [Silence]

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This is the offertory period, so we'd like for the ushers to come forward, those who are ushering today for the offerings. [ Pause ] We'd like for you to feel free to give to the Lord.

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Be as generous as your heart leads you to be as we devote this time to collect our offering. >> Ladies and gentlemen, we'll move around with plates. [ Pause ]

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[ Music ] ♪ God is so beautiful to me ♪ ♪ Yes, Lord ♪ ♪ God is so beautiful to me ♪

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♪ Can't you see ♪ ♪ He's everything I've hoped for ♪ ♪ He's everything that I need ♪ ♪ God is so beautiful ♪

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♪ Come to me ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Such joy and happiness ♪ ♪ He'll bring ♪

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♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ Such joy and happiness ♪ ♪ He'll bring ♪ ♪ Like a dream ♪

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♪ He's like a guiding light ♪ ♪ Shining in the night ♪ ♪ Is everything that you need be ♪ ♪ God is so beautiful ♪

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♪ To me ♪ (singer vocalizing) - Gonna ask Brother Ronald McGee to come forward with the scripture lesson.

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- Our scripture this morning is taken from the first book of Psalms. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

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But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

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The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

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[ Pause ] [ Music ] [MUSIC] ♪ And fill my soul ♪

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♪ And fill my soul with love ♪ ♪ And from my name above ♪ ♪ And just a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ May he flow ♪

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♪ And just a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ And we'll tell of the life that was ♪ ♪ He will give of his crown ♪ ♪ We will master high and high ♪

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♪ When you feel the gravel turning ♪ ♪ And you know the fire is burning ♪ ♪ You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right ♪ ♪ Come on, Lord, may you hear ♪

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♪ Without a ray of tear ♪ ♪ And just a little God on top ♪ ♪ Will show the way ♪ ♪ The mistletoe still may rise ♪

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♪ And I not so despise ♪ ♪ But just a little talk with Jesus may be all ♪ ♪ Now let us have a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ And we'll tell him about our troubles ♪

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♪ We will hear your faithful cry ♪ ♪ And we will answer by and by ♪ ♪ And you'll get a little crowd ♪ ♪ We'll turn it and you'll join in by and by ♪

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♪ And you will have a little talk ♪ ♪ With Jesus makes it right ♪ ♪ And you'll have a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ And you'll tell him all about our love ♪

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♪ We will hear your faithful cry ♪ ♪ And we will answer by and by ♪ ♪ When you feel the ground is turning ♪ ♪ And you are so far and blind ♪

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♪ You will turn the talk with Jesus makes it right ♪ - Amen. - Amen. - Our speaker is gonna be introduced by Sam Austin III.

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- Sure. Beg your pardon, we're gonna have another song, thank you. (gentle piano music) [MUSIC PLAYING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ] [music] [singing]

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Walk with me, Lord, walk with me. While I walk this Jesus journey, I ♪ I want Jesus to walk with me ♪ ♪ You walk with my mother ♪

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♪ Walk with me ♪ ♪ You walk with my mother ♪ ♪ Walk with me ♪ ♪ While I'm on this ♪

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♪ Teacher's journey ♪ ♪ I need you, Jesus, every day ♪ ♪ To walk with me ♪ ♪ Just walk with me Lord ♪

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♪ Come on and walk with me ♪ ♪ Just walk with me Lord ♪ ♪ Walk with me ♪ ♪ Just while I'm on this ♪

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♪ Jesus, your name ♪ ♪ I want Jesus every day ♪ ♪ To walk with me ♪ ♪ Now you walked with my father ♪

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♪ I know you can't walk with me ♪ ♪ You walked with my father ♪ ♪ Lord, walk with me ♪ ♪ Out of all this ♪

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♪ Up a day, down the highway ♪ ♪ I need you, Jesus, every day to walk ♪ ♪ To walk, walk with me ♪ ♪ Just hold my hand, Lord ♪

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♪ Hold my hand ♪ ♪ Just hold my hand, Lord ♪ ♪ Hold my hand ♪ ♪ Well, I'm on this ♪

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♪ Jesus journey ♪ ♪ You stood by my mother ♪ ♪ Come on, Lord ♪ ♪ Walk with me ♪

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♪ Walk with me, Lord ♪ ♪ You can walk with me ♪ ♪ Just walk with me, Lord ♪ ♪ Please walk with me ♪

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♪ When I walk this ♪ ♪ Jesus journey ♪ ♪ Stood by my mother and my father ♪ ♪ Yes, all, all the people ♪

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- Amen, the speaker will be introduced by Sam Austin III. - Good afternoon. The theme for this afternoon's Men's Day program is

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"The Kind of Men God Needs." It is my pleasure and my privilege to introduce to you one such man. Dr. John T. King is our speaker for this afternoon.

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Let me tell you just a little bit about this religious, professional, and civic leader. Dr. King was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but he was reared here in Austin, Texas,

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where he has been active as a lay leader of Wesley United Methodist Church. He has been a delegate to each general and jurisdictional conference

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of the United Methodist Church since 1956. He's a former lay leader of the Southwest Texas Conference, United Methodist Church, and has been president of the General Council

00:30:04.860 - 00:30:18.420

on Ministry since 1972. Dr. King is a graduate of L.C. Anderson High School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fisk University, a Master's of Science degree from DePaul University,

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and a Doctorate of Philosophy degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. King has received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Southwestern University of Georgetown, Texas,

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and St. Edward's University of Austin, Texas. Dr. King is a member of the board of directors of four organizations, including the Union National Bank of Austin

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and the Austin Chapter National Conference of Christians and Jews. He is a member of numerous civic organizations, such as Big Brothers of Austin Advisory Board,

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the Governor's Committee on Aging, and the Austin Civil Service Commission, and many other national, state, and community organizations. Dr. King is listed in Who's Who among American Educators

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and several other honorary publications. Dr. King is married to the former Marset Alice of Chicago. They have three sons, one daughter, and one granddaughter. And he informs me that they have another grandchild on the way. In 1947, he joined the faculty of Houston Tillotson

00:31:21.380 - 00:31:44.780

College, where he served as professor of mathematics for several years, and as dean of the college for five years. He has served as president of Houston Tillotson since 1965. Without having Not having to mention that Dr. John T. King is a well-known author and also a brigadier general in the United States Army Reserve, it is evident that he is the kind of man that

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God and our community need. I now introduce to you Dr. John T. King, a great man for a great Men's Day program. to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you very much Mr. Austin for that very flattering introduction. Dr. Griffin, to the men of

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Ebenezer, to the other members of Ebenezer, to our visiting friends, it's really good to be here and to participate in this experience on this day. It's quite pleasant in here, not only because I'm among many, many friends, but because it's hot outside. It's very hot outside, and it's good to be here, but

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that's not the only reason it's good to be here. It's always good to be in God's house, not just on the day that we make a mistake, Brother Paston called his day, But every day, because every day is God's day and every day is our day. Depends on how we, as God's people, use the days as they come.

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I want to quote for you a little poem that I hope will sort of set the stage for what I want to say. It goes like this, "The Lord had a job for me, but I had so much to do, I said, "Lord, you get somebody else. "Wait 'til I get through."

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I don't know how the Lord came out, but he seemed to get along. You know, I felt kind of sneaking like 'cause I knew I'd done God wrong.

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But then one day I needed the Lord and I needed him right away. But he never answered me at all. And I could hear him say, deep down in my accusing heart,

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"Man, I've got so much to do. "Now you get somebody else, or wait 'til I get through." You say God won't do you that way because he is a good and a just God.

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Well, yes, that's true. He is a good and a just God, but you know, with our busyness, I didn't say business,

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with our busyness, with the involved lives that we have, with the multiplicity of things that we try to do, we seem to close God out of our lives. We shut the door, we shut him out.

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And sometimes when we call on him and we need him, he's there and he answers, but we don't hear it because that door was shut by us. Dr. Edward Spragner, a prominent German psychologist,

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is given credit for saying that there are six types of men. First, there's the theoretical man. He's the kind who seeks the truth, he faces facts. And let me hurriedly say,

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when I'm using the term man or men, I'm using it in its generic sense. I'm not talking about the male animal. I'm talking about man in its all-inclusive generic sense.

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So the theoretical man seeks facts and seeks the truth. Ye shall seek the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But you know, sometimes the truth, even as an abstract concept, no matter how perfect it may be,

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We cannot always agree on theory. So when we seek the truth, I may see the truth one way, and you may see the truth another way. So we've got to be careful how we seek the truth.

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So the theoretical man is not necessarily the best man after all. And then he says there's the economic man, And he's the one who seeks results.

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Because he asks right away, how does it work? He believes in pilot projects. He believes in pilot plants. He deals in abstract ideas and abstract ideals.

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And they say that most of us academic people are theoretical people. And that most business people, Brother Street, are economic people.

00:36:38.720 - 00:36:54.160

Well, that may be true and it may not be true. Yes, the economic man does seek results, and it's true that our future depends upon results, but yet it depends on how the economic man

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seeks those results and what he puts into the process in going after the results. So the economic man may not be the best man after all. Then Dr. Spragna says there is the aesthetic man.

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He's the one who sees the relationship or the fitness in things, whether in color or sound or artistry or whatever. He says that artists, whether musicians, painters,

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sculptors, or artists in other phases of life, as in words, are often strong in the qualities of the aesthetic. And yet no two artists will see the same scene the same way. And all you have to do is look at the pictures they paint.

00:37:44.920 - 00:38:06.920

No artist will paint the same portrait of one individual the same way. Because one artist will see a little wrinkle here, or a faint smile there, which might completely escape or elude the other artist. And so the aesthetic man may not be the best man after all.

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Then there's the political man. Dr. Spragna says the political man wants to dominate. He wants to be the big boss. He wants to rule. He wants to control people's lives by setting standards, by making determinations.

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Now everybody wants to be his own boss. Everybody wants to control his own destiny. Yet there is that political man standing out there who wants to rule by law. And he wants everyone to account for their actions according to a certain set of standards

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which he has developed. And oftentimes, standards in which people have no voice, in which they play no part. And although the political man is a necessary animal in our life and in our structure, and although we all ought to become sensitive to the issues and we all ought to register

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and go out and vote in any and every election, the political man may not be the best man after all. Then there's the social man. Now the social man loves people.

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The social man loves his fellow man. He's concerned about them, not just the poor and the needy, but also the frustrated and the handicapped and the discouraged and the downtrodden and the downhearted,

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those who feel that all is lost and there's no need to continue. The social man is also interested and concerned about the people who are successful and who are useful and who are helpful. He wants to see people succeed and so he puts himself out at every turning to help people. And yet sometimes a social man does not know how to help people.

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And in his attempt to help people, he hurts more than he helps. So the social man may not be the best man after all. Then Dr. Spragna says, "There is the religious man." And he says the religious man seeks the highest good.

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And I say that the religious man is God's man because he knows why he's here. He knows that he is on this earth to do God's will. Yes, he's concerned about honesty and justice. Yes, he's a man of integrity.

00:40:55.040 - 00:41:17.040

He wants things to fall right. He follows the principles and the tenets of society. But he does these things under the umbrella of the love of Christ. And that separates him from the social man who loves people just as well,

00:41:17.040 - 00:41:40.040

who wants to see people succeed in life and get the best things out of life. And so out of these six men, the theoretical man, the economic man, the aesthetic man, the political man, the social man, the religious man. The man that God wants is the religious man.

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God is looking for the religious man. God give us men a time like this demands. Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands. Men whom the lust of office does not kill,

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men whom the spoils of office cannot buy. Men who possess opinions and a will, men who have honor, men who will not die, men who can stand before the demagogue

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and damn his treacherous flatteries without winking, tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog, in public duty and in private thinking, for while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,

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their large professions and their little deeds, mingle in selfish strife, low freedom weeps, wrong rules the land, and waiting justice sleeps. And so I want to present to you the 10 religious men,

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the 10 kinds of people, the 10 most wanted men by God. First, God wants men who have experienced his creative power in the world. Sensitivity to his presence and his creative power

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is the first step to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. For in Psalms 19 we find these words, the heavens are telling the glory of God and the sky shows forth the work of his hands.

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Day unto day pours forth speech and night unto night declares knowledge. These words are in the first and second verses. But take a look at verse 11, which states,

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thy servant is instructed by them. Thy servant is instructed by them. And so I say, find a man who is open to the messages of creation,

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and I will show you a man who is close to the kingdom of God. The second God wants a man who is obedient to the limitations of life's experiences. Yes, there are those among us who take life for granted and learn nothing from the experiences

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that they encounter in everyday life. But it was St. Paul who said in Acts 26, 19, "I was not obedient to the heavenly vision." I was not obedient to the heavenly vision. And so a poet once said that some men see the whirl of flame while standing on holy

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ground, stoop to pick up burials. Some men seeing the whirl of flame while standing on holy ground stoop down and pick up the burials. The sensitive few are obedient to the voice of God,

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and so they stoop to worship, and then rise to conquer the world. Some men seeing the world aflame go about their business as usual.

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They pick their berries. They drive their cars. They iron their clothes. make their sails. The world is burning up, going hither and yon. But there are others

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who are obedient to the will of God and to the voice of God. And while the world is aflame, they stoop to pray, "Almighty God, put out this flame in this world of ours. Help people to see that they set the world on fire, not by their good deeds, but by their misdeeds. And then they get up and walk around helping God to put out the flame of an unkind world.

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The boy Samuel heard the voice of God, but he did not answer because he simply did not understand. So he asked the man of God, and then he was told, "The next time you hear the voice, say,

00:46:16.340 - 00:46:33.220

"'Speak, Lord, thy servant hearing.'" The next time you hear the voice, say, "Speak, Lord, thy servant hearing." And then God wants a man who is willing

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to stand up for his convictions. She's willing to be counted, not go along with the crowd, but to stand out from the crowd, willing to be counted. Yes, there are so many who in today's world

00:46:46.940 - 00:46:55.100

will not take a stand. Men who don't take a stand, don't take it because they're insecure, they're unsure of themselves.

00:46:55.100 - 00:47:16.060

Yet it is God who gives each of us security. He gives us security while here on Earth, And he gives us protection from the grave. Who can forget the story of Daniel who stood alone before the king?

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So impressive is Daniel to us that someone has written, "Dare to be a Daniel. Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose for it. And then dare to make it known."

00:47:30.180 - 00:47:44.460

Dare to be a Daniel. dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm, and then dare to stand alone. We hear so often the words,

00:47:44.460 - 00:48:06.460

"Except one stands for something, he will fall for anything." And that's very true. Except one stand for something, he will fall for anything. And then God wants a man who is a good father and a good husband.

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Perhaps no time in the long history of the world, particularly in the history of these United States, is there such a time more crucial for there to be a good father and a good husband. For this is a critical time in which to raise children.

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I know of no more taxing time in the history of humankind than this, for the raising of children. Because there's so many pressures brought to bear upon us from the outside world. There's pressure from the media. There are pressures from our so-called friends. The pressures of gossip. The pressures of neglect.

00:48:50.460 - 00:49:08.460

The pressures here and the pressures there. And then the peer pressure is brought upon our children. Parents who neglect their children, and those children try to cast the same degree of neglect upon our children

00:49:08.460 - 00:49:25.660

through the peer pressure that they create. God needs parents who are strong enough to give the right kind of guidance to their children. And yet, with the guidance that we give many times, we fail.

00:49:25.660 - 00:49:37.800

We fail. Why do we fail? Is this God's will? Does God want our children to go astray?

00:49:37.800 - 00:49:59.520

Somewhere in our leadership, we have failed. Either as parents, or as community, or a school, or even brother pastor's church. Sometimes we've failed and these pressures

00:49:59.520 - 00:50:15.520

from the outside engulf our children and carry them away with the strain. It was the Ephesian church to which Paul said, "You fathers must not irritate your children,

00:50:15.520 - 00:50:26.720

"but you must bring them up in the Christian training and instruction. And how do we do this? Not by sending them out

00:50:26.720 - 00:50:39.720

to go to the church school or go to church, but by bringing them out and letting them know that we too

00:50:39.720 - 00:50:52.720

are concerned about the activities which the church sponsors for our good and our future.

00:50:52.720 - 00:51:08.720

And that God wants a man who cares about his people and who will take the time to serve. So many of us are so busy. We've got so many important things to do

00:51:08.720 - 00:51:24.360

that when we are called upon to do a simple task, We say, "Well, call on me next time. I've got so many things to do. I've got this and I've got that and I've got the other."

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And on Sunday mornings, what happens? We get up bright and early and we go out to the Morris Williams Golf Course. And we try to get in those holes before the pressure of the heat comes on us. And then we go back home and we sit before the idiot box and we relax.

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And we see somebody later on in the day and they said, "Well, what happened to you? You weren't in church today." "Well, you know, I had something important to do. I have something important to do.

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What is there more important than serving God's will in His church? What is more important than helping to bring God's kingdom upon this earth?

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And the only place to bring it through is in the church. You can't bring it through from the outside. You hear people say, you know, I'm just as good as any of you people who call yourself Christian.

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I don't lie, I don't steal, I don't cheat, I don't do all of these things. I'm just as good. I can be a Christian and stay at home.

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Who are they fooling? Who are they fooling? I realize I'm preaching at the choir. Brother Pastor, I realize I'm preaching at the choir,

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and this is a message that ought to get out to the people who are sitting in front of the idiot box right now and ought to be in here. But you try to take the message back to them.

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You cannot serve God and stay away from the church. I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are. You cannot serve God unless you work in,

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through, and for his church. And the church is not building. This is not the church. This is a symbol of the church,

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a beautiful edifice, a symbol of the church. But the church is you and me and what we do to make this symbol become living reality, to make this symbol alive in the hearts of men

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and women and children. That's the church. That's the church. The Holy Ghost is not just the figment

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of someone's imagination many years ago. The Holy Ghost is Christ at work in the world through you and through me. God wants a man who cares about people

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and cares enough that he will share because he cares, share of his time, his talents, and the possessions which God is kind enough let him have. We talk about our bank accounts. We talk about our home. We talk about our

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cars. We talk about our clothes, as though these are things which belong to us. They don't belong to us. We are merely the possessors, the stewards, if you will, of these things. They belong to God. And God expects us to use these to help him bring his kingdom upon on this earth.

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Our talents, just like these very fine young people, are using their talents to bring the love of God through music into the worship experience. You know, you learn so much if you listen to songs

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as they are sung. The great hymns of the church have a tremendous message to bring to us. If we listen to the words and then take those words

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and make them a part of our daily lives and our daily experiences, and the sweet melodies supporting these words are important.

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They all are designed to teach a great lesson, to teach us how to love, how to extend ourselves, how to be caring people in God's church. God wants a man who with deep faith and true reverence

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can read the signs of the times. Deep faith and true reverence can read the signs of the times. So many of us go blindly from day to day

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without direction or without a course for the life that we're supposed to live. So the skeptic says that nobody knows what a day will bring forth, and I say yes, that's right.

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That's right, nobody knows what a day will bring forth, and therefore we walk by faith. But you cannot walk by faith if you don't have that faith. You stumble around and you fall.

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And yet sometimes with faith we fall. But the good part about it is, Although with faith we fall, with faith we also rise again. And we walk forward, renewed human beings,

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renewed people with a new strength and a new vitality to go on and to help God bring his kingdom upon this earth. And God wants a man with a disciplined heart.